Holy Cross charity game caps fundraising

Bayside’s Holy Cross High School recently capped off their traditional charitable fundraising efforts with their annual “Christmas Classic,” a basketball game pitting the faculty against a team comprising the top 15 fundraisers from the student body.
The event takes place over a period of five days, during which seniors solicit funds from their peers, friends, parents and employers. For over twenty years, the seniors have generated funds for, and raised the awareness of, non-profit organizations in the New York City area that serve those in need.
“This event is an important part of our mission at Holy Cross,” said Michael Genovese, Director of the Service Learning Program. “Not only does the Classic build school spirit, the event also teaches the boys that they have a responsibility and obligation to reach out to the neediest in our community,” he said.
This year posed an especially big challenge, school officials observed, yet they were proud to announce that, despite the difficult economic climate, students managed to set a new record for the campaign - over $6,300.
In addition to this traditional campaign, the school said that a silent auction and a “Dress-down Day,” where students earn a day off from the established dress code by contributing to the fund, brought in more than $2,000 in additional funds.
This year’s game took place at the school on Friday, December 19, pitting the faculty against a starting line-up of the five top fundraisers: co-captains Joseph Lenhart and David Marsala, Nico Cusumano, Matthew Valle and Kieran Mahoney.
The faculty may have defeated the seniors by a score of 27-25 - but everyone came away feeling like winners.