Neighbors

Bailey Bowl brings MacArthur community together

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For nine consecutive years, MacArthur High School alumni have gathered at the Levittown building to compete in a flag football tournament in memory of Rick Bailey, a former tight end for the Generals. 

With Bailey’s name stamped on their T-shirts and jerseys, more than 200 people attended the MacArthur event on Nov. 26. The high school takes in students from northern sections of Wantagh and Seaford. 

The first Turkey Bowl was held in November 2008 — less than one month after Bailey was gunned down in Albany while he was walking back to his apartment. The 22-year-old student was slated to graduate from SUNY Albany the following month. 

The flag football tournament was designed to honor Bailey’s life and benefit the MacArthur community. The Richard J. Bailey Memorial Fund is used to support scholarships, each worth $1,000, for two MacArthur students. The 2016 awards were granted to Jared Wolfe and Caitlyn Buckley, organizers noted. 

“Lights, Camera, Action,” a team of MacArthur alumni, won the tournament. After hitting the gridiron, participants gathered at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh to celebrate.