The music was rocking and everybody was dancing on Friday, Oct. 3 in the St. Dominic High School gymnasium as the school hosted its Fall Ball dance. The event included gregarious kids from St. Dominic’s dancing and socializing with 20 disadvantaged children from St. Christopher-Ottilie Family of Services in Sea Cliff.
“St. Dom’s is very active with St. Christopher-Ottilie during the school year,” said Janice Seaman, who was the party coordinator and one of many volunteers at the dance, which ran from 7 to 10 p.m. “This was the first time, though, that St. Dom’s invited the kids from St. Christopher-Ottilie to their school for a dance and it is a great way to bring some normalcy into these children’s lives and show them what a school function is like.”
She added that the St. Dom’s students gave the St. Christopher-Ottilie kids, who are often neglected and suffer from serious emotional needs and developmental disabilities, some one-on-one time by dancing, playing sports and socializing with them.
One of those warm-hearted students from St. Dom’s who spent his Friday night hanging with the kids from SCO was junior Nicholas Florio.
“It really feels great helping out and dancing with them,” said Florio, who also helps put together a carnival night once a year for the SCO kids. “I like interacting with them and it makes me feel really special to do something like this for somebody else.”
Janice’s daughter, Christa Seaman, came with her friends Morgan Laffey, Danielle Assini, Mackenzie Conroy, John Quinn and Grant Galligan to the dance.
“I have been involved with helping out the kids from SCO since I was in kindergarten and it is something I really am involved with,” said Christa, who is a junior at the school. “Every single holiday we try to put something together for them.”
Assini said that it is a good idea for the kids from SCO to interact with high school kids and to get to share in a high school experience.
“It is beneficial for all of us because a high school dance is one of the best ways to spend time together,” said Assini.
