Thursday, October 1, 2026
William S. Covert Elementary School students helped make principal Darren Raymar’s birthday a special one at his annual dance party on Dec. 9, while raising hundreds of dollars for his charity.
Raymar, who turned 48 on Dec. 11, has been holding his birthday bash since 2014 as a fundraiser for his charity, the Raymar Children’s Fund. The event, which is always scheduled on a day when school releases early for parent-teacher conferences, features a DJ, pizza lunch and lots of dancing.
Roughly 180 students stayed to join the celebration and raised a total of $900, which will be used to help assist Rockville Centre families during the holiday season.
Raymar thought the party was a great way for students to have fun in the afternoon, while giving family members a chance to catch up on holiday shopping.
“Nothing beats dancing with 200 kids on my birthday,” Raymar said. “It was a lot of fun.”
The Raymar Children’s Fund was created in 2005 and provides children with enrichment experiences and programs while giving financial aid and assistance to needy families in the community.
The inspiration for the charity came after he noticed the amount of money being raised through the school’s annual variety show. Raymar said the parent-teacher association sparked the idea for the foundation and a board was created to help run it.
“It kind of evolved,” Raymar said of the charity. “It’s great for us and the district because it helps not only the students at Covert, but others as well.”
