By Nick Buglione
Having raised more than $6,500 in a two-week period in March for Island Harvest's 2002 Coin Harvest, more than any other school on Long Island, hundreds of boisterous McVey students were rewarded for their efforts by a visit from New York Met Vance Wilson.
Class by class of excited youths packed into the gym, waiting in anticipation for their prize to arrive. Accompanied by the team mascot Mr. Met, Wilson, who has done a phenomenal job backing up all-star catcher Mike Piazza this season, was greeted with some of the most thunderous cheers he has ever received off the field.
"That might have been one of the best [reactions] that I've been a part of," Wilson said. "That was really neat. Obviously, they're Mets fans."
The kids, however, were the ones who deserved all the applause, Wilson said, for having raised so much money for such a worthy cause. "It's very important what you did to help the community out," he said.
In all, more than 60 schools across Long Island collected some $51,000 during the Coin Harvest fundraising drive, with an astounding 12 percent of that sum coming from McVey. Herald Community Newspapers Publisher Stuart Richner served as chairman of the Coin Harvest.
Students participating in the drive are armed with labeled paper lunch bags to bring home and fill with loose change for the benefit of local families that don't have enough to eat.
The kids from McVey, though, took the effort a step further, according to Randi Dresner, spokeswoman for Island Harvest.
"This was our best Coin Harvest ever. We just about doubled what we raised last year," said Dresner. "No other school on Long Island did what McVey did. They did a tremendous amount of programs supporting this event."
After fielding some questions from the students, a few fortunate fans got to throw pitches to Wilson, who did not forget to bring his catcher's mitt.
"I'll tell you what, there were two girls who had great arms, both of them threw perfect strikes, and there were two other kids who were really whipping them in," Wilson said. "I think this is part of our job. As much support as we get, the least we could do is come out and visit the community, especially to reward them for doing a good thing."
The opportunity to play catch with a Major League Baseball player was exhilarating, said fifth-grader Robert Mancino.
"It was cool," he said, adding that he did not feel intimidated throwing to a professional. "I just threw it."
Mancino is president of the school's Student Council, the organization that overwhelmingly voted in favor of participating in this year's Coin Harvest.
Being able to get out of class to enjoy the company of a big-league baseball player was a welcomed change of pace, but the kids emphasized that wasn't the reason why they decided to participate in the drive.
"We wanted to help the kids and families that don't have enough money and are less fortunate than us," said Ryan Dragoon, another fifth-grade student.
And help from the kids and parents was not hard to find, said Randy Frances, who along with school social worker Irene Jennings, coordinated McVey's participation in the Coin Harvest.
"Everyone was so excited, and it was incredible how the community, the children and the teachers came together to raise all this money," said Frances.
Over two weeks in March, the school held a bake sale as well as Carvel and Dunkin Donuts sales. They also hosted a bowling day, an ice-skating event and a Burger King night.
"Now that our [fundraising] secrets are out, I'm sure there are going to be other schools out looking to do the same thing," said Jennings. "So, we have to look for new and better things to do to raise money."
Certainly, Island Harvest can count on McVey's participation next year's Coin Harvest, Jennings added.
Founded in 1992 as Long Island's only food-rescue organization, Island Harvest picks up surplus foods from more than 500 commercial donors and collects goods in food drives for families in need.
Overall, tens of thousands of men, women and children are served this food at day-care and senior centers, programs providing vocational training and mental-health services.
Funds from their annual Coin Harvest, now in its sixth year, support the operation and management of the service.
