“Neither a nor’easter nor mud could keep the Avalanche, a newly formed U-11 team for boys 10 to 11 years old, from playing against Jericho United on Saturday, Nov. 14 – in Jericho,” said coach Alex Gallego.
The team is being coached by Mr. Gallego and Larry Van Patten. The Avalanche is made up of children from Bayville and Oyster Bay and they have become a formidable force in their division. They are part of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Soccer Club.
Coach Gallego said, “As the fall season ends, the Avalanche is looking forward to their spring season as they hone their great playing skills.”
Mr. Gallego, president of the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce, said that the chamber is considering donating funds to the soccer club, a longstanding part of after-school sports for children in the area.
The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Soccer Club has over the years used Oyster Festival profits to reduce the cost of running the program.
Mr. Gallego said they were impacted by the inclement weather that hit the 26th festival and he asked that people think of youth sports and the positive impact they have on children and asked that people donate to the club.
“As a suggestion, the OB-EN Soccer Club welcomes advertisements on their website that reaches thousands of parents and households in the area,” he said.
“The OB-EN Soccer Club is very thankful to its children, parents, coaches and volunteers and hopes that during this time of giving – that people will consider donating to the club.”
He said the chamber’s board of directors is hoping to come up with a plan to make donations to some of the other nonprofit organizations that lost money as a result of the Oyster Festival washout. Last year, the chamber ran a comedy night for the OB-ENYAA and presented them with a check for $4,000. “This year we don’t have that but hope to be able to be generous and to contribute to them,” said Mr. Gallego.
