The Huntington Booster Club will hold its fourteenth annual dinner on Thursday, October 28 at 7 p.m. at the Head of the Bay Club in Huntington Bay. The organization will Paul McDermott, a 1980 Blue Devil alum who as head coach led the high school boys’ lacrosse team to three county championships and a pair of state titles.
The Huntington Booster Club has raised about $1.2 million for the district’s sports programs over the past 15 years. The organization has funded numerous projects at J. Taylor Finley Middle School and Huntington High School and awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in athletic team grants submitted by coaches. The group has also presented thousands of dollars in sportsmanship scholarships to graduating seniors each spring.
Tickets for the dinner are available for $150. There are four different methods that can be used to secure tickets. Reservations can be made: Online at www.huntingtonboosterclub.com; via Venmo @Huntington Booster Club (please include event, guest list and sponsorships in the Venmo Note section) or via US Mail by sending either a check payable to Huntington Booster Club or credit card information to Huntington Booster Club, PO Box 2294, Huntington, NY 11743.
Contact Patti Weber (pcw1127@optonline.net or 631.374.3158) or Joe Mattio (mattios@optonline.net or 631.418.4600) for more information.
The evening will include a lavish cocktail hour with a variety of sumptuous hors d’oeuvres followed by an extravagant buffet dinner and mouthwatering dessert hour.
An incredible assortment of raffles provided by sponsors, local businesses and Blue Devil sports teams will capture the attention of those attending the dinner.
The evening will include a presentation in honor of Mr. McDermott and remarks by him. Many Huntington alumni, current coaches and district officials are expected to attend the affair.
The Huntington Booster Club is hoping to raise a significant amount of money at the dinner since it hasn’t been able to do its normal fundraising over the past 18 months due to COVID-19. The organization will use whatever monies it does raise to support its grant initiatives.
Sponsorships are available for those who wish to support the group in a special way. These sponsorships include: Dinner sponsor: $5,000; Cocktail hour sponsor: $2,500; Table centerpiece sponsor: $500.
A gorgeous journal to commemorate the dinner and Coach McDermott’s Blue Devil career is also planned. Ads for the journal are already being snatched up. Eight separate types of ads are available with each of them described in the event flyer, which is posted on the Huntington UFSD website at www.hufsd.edu. Ads are due by October 1 so hurry. Contact Erik Krisch at eakrisch@gmail.com to submit an ad for the journal.
Mr. McDermott garnered varsity letters in lacrosse and football while attending Huntington High School. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at CW Post College and Stony Brook University, respectively. He is currently employed as a math teacher in the Half Hollow Hills CSD.
The Huntington grad coached at his alma mater from 1986 through 2014. His overall varsity coaching record is 304-148 with numerous championships, including three county and two state crowns.
Mr. McDermott coached Huntington’s freshman team in 1986 and then was the JV team’s coach in the 1987 and 1988 seasons before serving as assistant varsity coach in 1989 and 1990. He was the Blue Devil varsity head coach for 24 years.
“We are planning a great event,” said Mr. Mattio, who serves as the Booster Club’s president. “We expect to sell all 200 tickets. We are going to celebrate Blue Devil athletics and have a fun time doing it.”