(Photo courtesy of Zachary Biren)
Plainview-Old Bethpage (POB) School District teachers and alumni recently took on students in an ice hockey game at Bethpage Ice Rink to raise money for Relay For Life, an event supporting the American Cancer Society.
In the second annual event, sponsored by Plainview-Old Bethpage Ice Hockey Club and Family Bagels of Plainview, the students edged out the teachers and alumni in a 52-minute game that had the crowd rocking the entire time.
“We had a lot of people coming this year,” said Zachary Biren, a POB alum who created the event last year. “People were cheering in the stands. They were watching the game and getting involved. The teachers and alumni were talking, and they all loved it. It was a great atmosphere there.”
In the two years of the event, Biren and the people who help organize the event raised just about $3,000, with this year’s earnings coming out to $1,900. In addition to the hockey game going on, the event also gave out raffle tickets for prizes there as well as at the big Relay For Life event that took place a day later. Even local businesses came down to help give out raffles to raise money for cancer research.
“My favorite part was being at the event and seeing it all come together,” said Biren. “It was great how the community came together. I saw a lot of people that I knew from high school.”
For Biren, the Plainview community means a lot to him, so holding an event each year that brings it together, raises money for a good cause and involves one of his favorite hobbies is a great way to give back.
“I’ve gotten so much support from everybody on the things that I have done and the things that I’ve tried to do with getting everything together, it means the world to me to see people come together like this.”
Biren thanks his family and friends for supporting him in this event, as well as the teachers, alumni and students that helped make the event a success.
