The 2020 edition of the “Huntingtonian,” the annual yearbook of Huntington High School is dedicated to a very special alum. A member of Huntington’s Class of 1984, Darin Reed has been giving back to his alma mater for many years in a wide variety of ways, including utilizing his brilliance as a photographer to capture all the important events and milestones for many years.
Mr. Reed has been a constant presence at events as wide ranging as the opening day of the school year and Homecoming Day parade to the high school prom and graduation. He’s snapped tens of thousands of photos covering all eight schools in the district, but most notably Huntington High School. His photo galleries are the stuff legends are made of and are among the top items viewed on Huntington UFSD’s website. He’s even created moving videos of his photos set to music. Many of his photos are in the 2020 yearbook.
Darin Reed as a Huntington High School senior in 1984.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing school closure created many challenges for the yearbook staff and faculty advisors Elizabeth Casazza and Kristin Fortunato. Many events were canceled along with the entire spring athletic season and school musical. Heroic efforts were undertaken to deal with the surreal situation from the yearbook’s perspective.
“We had to come up with another plan for the yearbook since several events that usually are displayed in the yearbook were canceled,” said Elizabeth Casazza, a high school Spanish teacher who serves as the yearbook’s co-faculty advisor. “If it weren’t for everyone’s help, such as parents, teachers and students, the yearbook could not had been completed. We think this yearbook is special because it captures memories of a school year suddenly disrupted. It was a pleasure to work with Kristin Fortunato (co-faculty advisor). We both had the same goal for the yearbook, which was to include as many students and teachers as possible.”
A total of 350 copies of the 2020 “Huntingtonian” were printed and almost all of them have already been purchased. A limited number of copies will be available for purchase by seniors for $95 on June 17 when caps and gowns and previously purchased yearbooks are distributed.
“I’d like to express my thanks the Huntington High School yearbook crew and Ms. Casazza and Ms. Fortunato for assembling an incredible keepsake under extraordinary circumstances,” Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “I’d also like to share my deepest appreciation for Darin Reed, to whom the yearbook is dedicated, for his unwavering support and contributions through the years. Darin’s mark will remain alongside the mark left by the Huntington High School Class of 2020 in terms of what they have meant and will always mean to the Huntington school community.
The official dedication to Mr. Reed as it appears in the 2020 yearbook reads as follows:
Born on October 3, 1966, Mr. Darin Reed, the youngest of three, grew up on Pennington Drive, about a mile from Huntington High School. A Blue Devil through and through, Mr. Reed began kindergarten at Jefferson Primary School and continued his education through Huntington High School where he graduated in 1984. In the fall, he chose to attend Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York where he met his wife Karen.
“Graduating with a degree in economics in 1988, he began his work in the insurance industry and has been working as an Allstate Insurance agent for 30 years. He and Mrs. Reed have three children Matthew, Madelyn and Michael, all Huntington Blue Devils.
“His love of photography began with his oldest son, Matthew, was in 7th grade. He started volunteering for the Huntington School District in 2010 where his photographs quickly became a Huntington staple. He has photographed everything from music concerts to sporting events to robotics competitions. Mr. Reed has been capturing beautiful Blue Devil moments for many years and he has become an integral part of the Huntington community.
“On behalf of the Yearbook Club, we dedicate the 2020 “Huntingtonian” yearbook to Mr. Reed for his outstanding and generous contribution. We are forever grateful.”
Yearbooks, caps and gowns and drive-in graduation tickets will be distributed at Huntington High School on Wednesday, June 17 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. as per the following schedule:
