Huntington Habitat for Humanity Honored at Citi Field
Despite evening temperatures hovering near freezing, a group of Huntington High School Habitat for Humanity club members glowed while being honored on the field at Citi Field prior to a recent New York Mets game.
The teenagers were recognized for their volunteer work helping the Breezy Point, Queens community recover from the devastating wrath of Hurricane Sandy. About 30 Huntington students were on hand at the stadium, along with Habitat for Humanity club advisor Robert Gilmor III, high school teachers John Pagano, Elizabeth Casazza, Craig McKee and Lorena Diaz and many family members and children; about 75 people in all.
"It was a cold day for all us, but the New York Mets put on a great game from the first pitch," Mr. Gilmor said. "Some of the seats were very high up, but everyone toughed it out and had an amazing attitude about the game. I am hoping to have another game as the weather gets warmer, but should it not be a possibility, I would like to thank everyone who joined us."
Huntington's Habitat for Humanity chapter traveled to Breezy Point on countless Saturdays over a period of many months, responding to Hurricane Sandy's destructive effects. Flooding ruined dozens of Breezy Point homes and the storm caused an electrical fire that burned down 111 houses.
The Citi Field ceremony provided an opportunity for the New York Mets, Habitat for Humanity and New York Cares to honor metropolitan area volunteers who responded to the needs of fellow New Yorkers in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
"Citi Field was amazing," senior Nikki Smoot said. "Even though it was very chilly that night, a large group of Huntington Habitat members were out on the field, wearing their Habitat shirts and proudly representing Huntington High School."
Many of these Huntington teenagers had recently returned from the Habitat for Humanity club's latest trip to New Orleans to participate in the continuing rebuilding efforts following the incredible devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina eight years ago. "It was really great to be rewarded for our hard work in such an incredible way," Ms. Smoot said about the pregame presentation.
Junior Olivia Palmer said the Citi Field experience was both fun and exciting. "When we were on the field, the workers who were with us told us to watch the big screen behind us," she said. "We turned around to see a slideshow of all our volunteer work. It was really nice of the Mets to recognize Habitat for its Sandy relief. Afterwards, we all went to our seats and watched the game and although I'm usually not a big fan of baseball, I had a great time, even with the cold temperature."
Considering the depth of the destruction in Breezy Point, the Huntington students will be returning to that Queens community in the future. "We will continue to help in the re-building of Breezy Point and just recently sent a donation to Habitat Westchester to help them in their continued efforts to help the many displaced families in the south shore communities," Mr. Gilmor said.
Huntington's Habitat club is led by Brian McConnell (president), Ms. Smoot (vice president), Josh Morris (treasurer) and Scout Ziegler (secretary). The club members have built close relationships with Mr. Gilmor, who founded the chapter shortly after he came to the high school more than a decade ago. "We truly appreciate all that Mr. Gilmor does for us and I know that we would not have been presented with such an incredible opportunity if it wasn't for his dedication to Habitat and his continuous support," Ms. Smoot said.