Athletes at Massapequa High School are always in the giving spirit. For Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, students on the fall sports teams collected various items for the Sunrise Association, which offers free programs for children with cancer.
Massapequa’s Go Gold fundraiser was started last year by student Emily Taylor, now a junior. She came up with the idea to honor a younger cousin, who is a survivor of childhood cancer. Led by varsity assistant football coach Brian Rath, the fall sports teams joined the effort and each team collected items for Sunrise, including video games and gaming systems, toys, and arts and crafts supplies. Teams also collected monetary donations at select Go Gold home games this fall, where the athletes raised awareness by wearing gold or yellow accessories such as socks or shoe laces.
“It’s amazing to see how everybody worked together for a such a good cause,” said Taylor.
Sunrise Association offers day camps for children with cancer and their siblings. On Oct. 13, the donations were presented to the organization’s vice president, Aileen Hoffman, who said the items would be used to support children who attend the summer camp.
Next year, Massapequa athletes will participate in the Sunrise Association’s walk at its Wheatley Heights camp.
