By Jessica Stahl
The students, members of Debbie Mayerson's Academic Horizons class at South Side High School, took the community service component of the course to the next level, becoming cancer crusaders. They compiled a collection of recipes, poems and essays, to be printed in a "Kids Cook For a Cause" cookbook. The cookbook has been submitted to a publisher, and proceeds from its sales will go to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to benefit cancer research and to Hewlett House, a center that provides support and resources for breast cancer victims.
On June 24 the students came to Hewlett House in Hewlett to be recognized for their efforts with a feast prepared from their own recipes.
Mayerson developed the idea for the cookbook along with Geri Barish and Ellen Hirchbien of Hewlett House after the two made a visit to South Side. The teacher was moved by the work done at the house, which offers free services to cancer patients, including information on treatments and health insurance as well as wigs and clothing for chemotherapy patients. The center also hosts social events and maintains support networks to help cancer patients deal with feelings of isolation, fear and depression.
When Mayerson presented the concept of making a cookbook to her students, they thought it was a good idea for a good cause but were slightly skeptical. One, Steve Serling, remembers, "When she first said it, I didn't know how just her students could make it happen."
It took a lot of hard work by the students to complete the project, but they proved that even a small high school class can make a difference. They contributed recipes for such treats as Italian cookies, cranberry walnut bread and guacamole and curry chicken. Many added powerful personal anecdotes about their own experiences dealing with cancer. Jessica Bondy wrote, "It was brought to my knowledge that one in nine women may have breast cancer ... I began to count how many girls were with me listening to the same information. ... There were more than nine girls in the room."
As they saw their recipes laid out on the table and their compositions up on display, the students reaped the greatest rewards of their efforts, listening to a presentation by those their work had affected. Geri Barish, a three-time breast cancer survivor and executive director of Hewlett House, had tears in her eyes as she addressed the students, telling them that they "touched my heart so much."
Principal Carol Burris also offered some words to the students, and Jeffrey Picarello of Cold Spring Harbor Lab spoke about advances in cancer research. The final remarks of the presentation were made by Mayerson. The teacher thanked her students, telling them, "This is what being a teacher is."
At the close of the presentation, the class got to sample the recipes they had worked so hard on. Their efforts had paid off: They gave their cookbook entries a resounding thumbs-up as they proudly chowed down.
