High schoolers spread holiday cheer

Wantagh High School students spent the bulk of December giving, and giving some more. Several clubs hosted holiday drives to help people in need on Long Island.

The Italian Club held a food drive, and donations were given to the Sons of Italy. Emily Fillizola, president of the Italian Club, said the group asked for non-perishable food items, and a collection box was placed in the school lobby. “It went really well,” she said. “We got a lot of food.”

Fillizola said the Italian Club this year has been trying to do more community service activities, and the food drive was one of those.

“Everyone deserves food during the holidays,” she said, “so I felt like it was a great thing to help people by doing this.”

The Key Club collected toys, which were then donated to the Wantagh-based John Theissen Children’s Foundation. Emily Fenter, president of the club, said her classmates were very generous. Students donated small toys, big toys and toys for children of all ages.

Fenter said the drive was important because it alleviated what could have been a stressful situation for parents in trying to provide their children with presents for the holidays. She said the Key Club has made a donation every year to the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, which regularly hands out about 76,000 toys to children during the holiday season.

Sandra Re, a member of the Key Club, donated several games to the toy drive including Trouble, Jenga and Mancala.

Members of the Key Club also were stationed outside of Iavarone Brothers and the King Kullen supermarket in Wantagh throughout December ringing bells and collecting money for the Salvation Army. The group’s next ventures will be a stuffed animal drive for Scoliosis Awareness Month and Pennies for Patients to benefit children with leukemia.

Jacqueline Fiorillo, a special education teacher at Wantagh High and advisor of the Key Club, noted the creative efforts of her members to raise awareness about the various drives. “The students have been very dedicated to thinking about other people at this time,” she said. “I’m real proud of them.”

With winter on its way, several groups also worked to make sure people would be warm. The Junior Chamber of Commerce held a coat drive, and the Leadership Club collected gloves and mittens, which were then donated to the Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead. Those efforts will be noticed this week, with a major cold spell setting in.

“Who doesn’t need gloves?” said Timmy Grief, president of the Leadership Club. “It’s the holiday season. We wanted to give to the less fortunate.”