Busy Season for Huntington’s Grandfriends Club

From Halloween goblins and witches to donated Thanksgiving baskets, Huntington High School’s Grandfriends club never seems to stop.

“In October our kids brought joy and laughter to the residents of the Sunrise Assisted Living Facility with a special day of activities and festive costumes,” said teacher Suzi Biagi-Quigley, the club’s longtime faculty advisor. “Students dressed up in an array of scary ensembles, ready to celebrate the spooky season with their ‘grandfriends;’ the senior residents that they have come to know and care about throughout the club’s ongoing visits.”

During their time at Sunrise, students and residents interacted while engaging in seasonal activities including Halloween bingo and playing cards and enjoying light refreshments. The visit concluded with a Halloween parade of costumes, where residents awarded students with goodie bag awards for “Best Costume.”

“It’s special to bond with the older generation,” Evolet Herrera Moreira said. “I always look forward to going to Sunrise and playing bingo with the seniors.”

Thirty-five Huntington students were able to attend the event at Sunrise. “We literally had to turn students away due to overcrowding at the facility,” Mrs. Biagi-Quigley said.

Junior member Madyn Kalb’s grandmother is a new resident at the Sunrise, and it was a special moment for her to be able to spend time with her along with her peers. “Being in this club allows me to spend so much more time with my grandma and I’m now closer than ever to her after being separated by six states in recent years,” Ms. Kalb said.

Freshman Hannah Boyle said that she really enjoyed “getting to know the residents and learning about her life,” discovering that two of the residents have been friends since third grade.

As soon as Halloween costumes were put away the Grandfriends started collecting non-perishables ultimately creating ten huge Thanksgiving baskets filled with goodies and each having a $20 gift card for a turkey or other “fixins.”

“It’s a factory of sorts; my classroom is set up like a grocery store warehouse, donations are meticulously gone through ,checking for open containers and expiration dates and then teams of two and three students fill their shopping bags,” Mrs. Biagi-Quigley said. “Once completed, a personalized Grandfriends card with the gift card is enclosed.”

The baskets were then delivered to the Town of Huntington Senior Center by Mrs. Biagi-Quigley and her co-faculty advisor, Lauren Blackburn. The raffles were destined to be raffled off at the senior center’s annual Thanksgiving dinner.

“We are just so proud of our kids,” Mrs. Biagi-Quigley said. “The club has swelled to over 100 members this year, all anxious to help. Next up, our holiday caroling event at the Sunrise on December 16. We are holding a mandatory rehearsal on December 9.”

“I am really looking forward to the Christmas caroling, it is one of the best parts, because it’s fun to sing along with the seniors,” James Hartough said.