A carnival for a cause

The Seaford Summer Recreation program is all about fun. But for one day, it’s also about charity.

Aug. 7, the second to last day of the four-week program, was the annual Carnival Day, featuring games, Italian ices, face painting, balloon art and more. It has been a long-standing tradition to use the event as an opportunity to raise money to help local people in need.

This year, money raised will go to the Beadle family. Lisa Beadle died of brain cancer on July 20 at 39, leaving behind her husband, Jim, and daughters Amanda, 8, and Kayla, 3. Amanda is a student at the Seaford Harbor School.

While college is still many years away for his daughters, Jim Beadle plans to use the money to set up a fund for their post-high school education. Beadle, who grew up in Seaford, said he was touched by the outpouring of support from the community.

“It was a total surprise,” he said, noting that the program directors told him the day before they would be raising money for his family. “I can’t thank them enough. It’s overwhelming.”

Bill Dietz and Ralph Pascarella, both phys. ed. teachers in the district, have coordinated the recreation program for the past nine years and Carnival Day has been a staple since that first year. Early on, they would give out prizes to the children, but decided the focus of the event should be on charity.

Children are asked to bring in a small donation, whether it is 50 cents, a dollar or sometimes more. Dietz, Pascarella and staff members also chip in.

One year, they made a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for a teacher’s aide in the district who has two children with the disease. Another year they helped out a mother of three in the community who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer and ultimately recovered.

When a playground was built at the Seaford Harbor School in memory of Joseph Casazza, a student who died in 2004 from brain cancer, the Carnival Day funds and money collected at a movie night were given toward that effort.

In 2012, Seaford graduate Ryan Bailey was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Towson, Maryland, near his college. Dietz and Pascarella donated about $3,000 toward a scholarship fund in Bailey’s name. The money was collected from Carnival Day and a soccer tournament.

The camp has also hosted a food drive for Island Harvest.

Before Carnival Day, Pascarella and Dietz explained to the children about the importance of helping others. “We said to them, ‘Come in, put your donation in and have a good time,’” Pascarella said, adding that this year the camp raised $1,500 for the Beadle family.

Among the 150 plus children enjoying the festivities behind the Seaford Manor School last Thursday morning were the two Beadle children, who have been attending the camp regularly as guests. Jim Beadle said he appreciates that they were invited to participate, as it gave them the opportunity to “keep their mind off of things.”

This year’s camp theme was “Going for the Gold” and children made the flags of their ancestral countries, which were hung at Carnival Day. While having fun in the sun, they were also taking part in the program’s long-standing cause to help others.

“The Seaford community has been very generous and thoughtful over the years,” Dietz said.