Students Recognized for Creating Local Programs

Students across the town of Smithtown were recognized for their accomplishments in community service last Sunday during Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), a day that promotes and acknowledges the efforts of youths that improve their local community.  

Originally started in 1988, this is only the second year that the day was celebrated in Smithtown under the leadership of the Smithtown Youth Bureau, a group which creates programs to support kids and teens. Last year, almost 140 kids were recognized as a part of GYSD.

According to Patsy Hirschorn, the Executive Director of the Smithtown Youth Bureau, the first year focused too much on trying to get more kids involved in community service.

"Not enough focus was on to paying recognition to the kids already doing community service,” she said. As a result, this year almost 450 kids from every high school and every town in Smithtown were acknowledged at a presentation made at Smithtown High School West.

Multiple students from Kings Park High School were recognized for the contributions in the Leadership Program. Students meet five times weekly to discuss how to improve their community.

Rahgi Abaza, a 14-year-old Kings Park high school student, joined the Leadership Program in the spring and created a tutoring program, “to help stressed students with their finals,” Rahgi said. Rahgi’s tutors helped about 15 students from late May to early June.

Tom Feeley, a 17-year-old junior at Kings Park High School, also joined the Leadership Program last spring. He chose to help his community by creating a used book drive. After collecting books from friends and family, “we went to Kings Park Day to sell the books we collected,” said Feeley, who reported they raised approximately $250. The money was donated to the Kings Park Library to help fund its current .

Other efforts from Kings Park students included a Wellness Fair, the Kings Park Students Against Drunk Driving club and the Junior Catholics Daughters of America, who raised $20,000 at their Night at the Oscars fundraiser. A portion of which was donated to , a charity created to help support Kings Park student Lauren Lenardi, who was diagnosed with cancer.

The Smithtown Youth Bureau is looking to expand the Leadership Program outside of Smithtown.

“We’re creating a summer program to target students who might have been too busy to participate during the school year,” Hirschorn said.