Friday Night Live set for March 20

The Seaford Wellness Council is committing $6,500 to various school initiatives in 2015, beginning with one of its staple events at the middle school this month.

Friday Night Live, an activity night for middle school students, will be held on March 20 at 7:30 p.m. This has been a tradition since the Wellness Council’s inception in the 1990s. It is open to all middle school-age students in Seaford, including those who attend private or parochial schools.

Mike DiSilvio, president of the Wellness Council, said the event is an opportunity for students, regardless of their interests, to have an enjoyable evening in a safe environment. “It’s just a way of helping them to socialize and do things that interest them,” he said, adding that there will be games, sports, arts and crafts and entertainment.

The Wellness Council will be contributing $1,000 toward the event, and will also be providing chaperones. DiSilvio said that past Friday Night Lives have drawn between 80 and 300 students. “It’s always been successful,” he said.

Members of the Wellness Council discussed the possibility of hosting a carnival-themed Friday Night Live in warmer weather so they could hold events outdoors, such as a dunk tank and carnival games.

For the past decade, the organization has hosted a cleanup of the Tackapausha Preserve, a county park that straddles the Seaford-Massapequa border. DiSilvio said after some strong years early on, attendance has dwindled recently. This year, the Council will be partnering with the middle school.

Science teacher Roseann Zeblisky is planning a field trip to Tackapausha on May 7, which would include a tour of the museum and a trip through the preserve to clean up the grounds. She is planning to have 200 students attend.

“Tacakapausha really needs some love and care right now,” she said, adding that she wants to teach the children to protect the natural resources right in their own backyard.

“When they’re walking down there, they won’t even know they’re in Seaford,” Wellness Council member Peter Ruffner added.

The group will also be contributing $1,000 toward the clean-up to buy supplies for the students such as glove and bags, and for transportation to and from the middle school.

DiSilvio said that even though the cleanup will be held on a Thursday, he is hopeful some members of the Wellness Council will be able to take part in it and work along side the middle school students.

Seaford Middle School is marking its 50th anniversary this year, and the Wellness Council will make a $500 contribution. Money will pay for a journal ad for the April 17 celebratory dinner, and the rest will be but toward T-shirts for every middle school student.

The remaining $4,000 in committed funds will pay for a pair of school assemblies. The district will welcome Hudson Taylor in the fall to speak about the acceptance of people with different lifestyles. The former wrestler will do programs at both the middle and high schools, as well as a discussion with interested athletes.

Former NBA player and addiction recovery advocate Chris Herren will visit the high school for an anti-drug presentation. DiSilvio said these two presentations are in keeping with the mission of the Wellness Council.

“We want something that’s certainly relevant, and we want something that’s impactful,” he said. “I think the topics and the speakers should be outstanding.”

DiSilvio said that the Wellness Council, while it has planned its youth initiatives for the year, still wants to do more for the rest of the community, including seniors. Ideas will be discussed at upcoming meetings, and the group next gets together on March 24 at the middle school.