Blue Devils Impress at Challenge Day in Bellmore

Challenge Day at Calhoun High School in Bellmore was the scene of standout performances and outright heroics by a team of 17 Huntington High School athletes who laid it on the line against nearly 700 competitors from about 20 high schools.

“It was a fun day filled with inclusive sports activities that promote collaboration and compassion among all students,” said Dr. Erica Murphy-Jessen, special education coordinator for grades K-12. “The long jump, target toss, long throw and cup stacking were among the favorites. During the closing ceremony, some of our Blue Devil athletes were presented with awards for the track and cornhole events and every student earned a green participation ribbon, which they proudly accepted.”

The Bellmore-Merrick Challenge, is an annual field day of fun activities designed to make connections between students from across the county. The district has been hosting this competition for nearly two decades.

The Bellmore-Merrick Challenge provides an opportunity for special needs students to have fun, develop their strengths and socialize with students from nearby districts.

“Every participant was given a t-shirt commemorating the event, which they happily wore during the opening ceremony walking the track holding our Huntington banner,” said Dr. Murphy-Jessen.

Students especially loved the DJ and danced from station-to-station throughout the day. A generous pizza lunch was provided to all students along with a Kona Ice truck for a refreshing dairy free treat to cool off on a hot day.

Huntington students studying with teachers Kelly Trites, Lauren Blackburn, Kelly Egan and Alyssa German were invited to participate. The students arrived at 9 a.m. clad in their matching hot pink t-shirts. A  brief opening ceremony was held and the team marched around the track with the Blue Devil banner and their heads held high.

“The Huntington Blue Devils exploded onto the court for their first event; basketball free throw shots on the basketball court. “Our students, who finished their Unified Basketball season 8-0, easily scored a multitude of free throw baskets and moved on to the next nine events,” Dr. Murphy-Jessen said

Some of the Blue Devils’ favorite events were cup stacking, 100m dash, long jump and cornhole. Huntington athletes took home the gold for 100m dash and cornhole!

To cool off, a Kona Shaved Ice truck was donated by the Bellmore-Merrick SEPTA.  The participants all received a free Kona ice, which they got to customize with an assortment of delicious flavors.

“We finished off the day with a tasty slice of pizza, camaraderie, collaboration and the pride of two event wins,” Ms. Blackburn said.