Members of the Kennedy High School Student Government shifted gears to helping others beyond the boundaries of Bellmore-Merrick Central School District with a collection for the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic on April 20.

“Shortly after the district converted to remote learning, Student Government President Danny Iskols began contacting me about ways the Student Government could help the school community,” explained Principal Gerard Owenburg.

Junior/secretary Dylan Lipman and senator Eric Giannaris spearheaded the effort to collect items and money for Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside.
“Eric proposed the idea of collecting items without any contact,” explained the club’s faculty adviser Brad Seidman. “Dylan made contact with the hospital and obtained a list of items they needed for their ‘grab and go’ stations.”

Student Government members volunteered to either set up a table in front of their house or collect the donated items at the end of the day and bring them to the administrative offices in Baldwin. Community members donated a generous number of items, including water, Gatorade, snacks, desserts and more.

“We also collected close to $1,000 that day that was used to purchase masks from the hospital's vendor in Freeport, Lamar Plastic,” explained Seidman. “It was a successful activity while practicing safety and social distancing.”

They also set up a way to collect monetary donations on their website, kennedystudentgovernment.com.

“The Kennedy Student Government has a long history of being active in the community and their actions are no surprise to me,” added Owenburg. “They are a group that will never sit idle while others are in need. I’m very proud of them and someday when they reflect back on the pandemic, I hope they feel the same sense of pride that I have in them today.”