Woodhull's March Madness Packs Gym
The Woodhull Intermediate School community took over Louis D. Giani Gymnasium at Huntington High School last Friday night for a March Madness basketball game that pitted teachers and staff members against each other to raise monies for a sixth grader who is battling a rare disease.
The annual contest is usually a surprisingly competitive event and this year's game was no different. A near capacity crowd offered up deafening cheers throughout the night as the team's battled it out for bragging rights around the building.
"March Madness was an amazing event," Woodhull PTA President Jeanie Dempsey said. The school community has rallied around the well-liked youngster battling Pearson's Syndrome. "The disease is caused by a loss, or deletion, of large pieces of DNA from tiny structures in the substance of cells, which are called mitochondria," according to the National Cancer Institute. "Mitochondria are responsible for producing much of the energy that cells need in order to function normally."
Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky and PTA Council President Bari Fehrs stopped by to lend their support. "Everyone worked together for a sixth grader who needs our help," Mrs. Dempsey said. "This event would not have happened if it wasn't for our assistant principal Mr. [Jarrett] Stein, who worked so hard to have such a great event. He really has such a great relationship with the kids. He was determined to get everyone involved to help."
Mr. Stein played in the game along with a full complement of his Woodhull colleagues. Whether they were on the court, cheering on the sidelines or helping out in some other way, the school's faculty and staff all pitched in to raise more than $3,000.
"It was a pleasure to witness such an unbelievably spirited crowd cheering on their favorite Woodhull staff members, who certainly left it all on the court," Mr. Polansky said. "It was a great night for a great cause. The Woodhull community should take pride in the turnout and in the overall success of the event."
"I am so moved by the support and emotion in that gym," Mrs. Dempsey said. "Almost every Woodhull parent, student, teacher and staff member was present. It was packed. I don't even know how to describe the noise, the crowd, the electricity. I am actually speechless."
Tickets to the game were on sale for $3. Woodhull parents donated candy, baked goods, water, snack gift baskets and countless hours of their time to raise as much money as they could for the struggling school community member.