Wellness Council planning a busy fall

The Seaford Wellness Council has wrapped up another busy year, and it is already preparing for a host of activities in the fall.

The group, a non-profit organization devoted to activities that promote wellness and community beautification, will be taking the summer off after hosting its last meeting of the school year on June 16 at Seaford Middle School.

Over the past 10 months, the council sponsored its annual Hot Chocolate Run, put up flags at the Seaford Long Island Rail Road station for the Field of Honor, and funded the Seaford Middle School’s clean-up at the Tackapausha Preserve. It will be a co-sponsor for the final show in the Seaford Public Library’s concert series, which will be held on Aug. 15 in the train station parking lot, adjacent to the gazebo that the Wellness Council maintains.

“When the school year begins in September, we are going to be busy,” Wellness Council President Mike DiSilvio said, referring to a large slate of events in the fall. It will begin with Friday Night Live on Oct. 2 at Seaford Middle School, an activities night for middle school-age children living in the community.

Friday Night Live had been scheduled for March 20, but was canceled due to the snow.

November will also be a busy month for the organization. The month will begin with Wellness Council members erecting the Field of Honor. A Harvest Senior Citizen Social is planned for Nov. 13, followed by another Friday Night Live on Nov. 20. The Field of Honor comes down at the end of the month.

The Harvest Social will be a dinner and dance, and a chance for local seniors to interact with each other. It will be held on a Friday at one of the schools. “We’ve been wanting to do something to help and support the senior citizens of Seaford for quite a while,” DiSilvio said.

The council’s marquee event, the Hot Chocolate Run, is set for Saturday, Dec. 5. The 15th annual 5K race begins and ends at Seaford High School.

This year, a new company will be timing the race. The Wellness Council has hired Rockland County-based PR Timing to serve as the official timekeeper and provide all necessary materials. PR Timing, which has been around for three years, has already worked several events on Long Island and in the Tri-state area.

Owner Greg Sautner met with members of the council last week. He said he would provide a 15-foot-wide opening with clock for the runners to pass through as they cross the finish line. He said also would create a results page on his website, which would be smart-phone friendly and update every few minutes as the race is taking place. The Hot Chocolate Run, the Wellness Council’s biggest fundraiser of the year, typically draws about 900 runners, and awards are given out in several categories.

DiSilvio said that registration and all other components of the race will remain the same.

On Dec. 10, the Wellness Council will be sponsoring “Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren,” a program designed to educate youth about the importance of healthy lifestyles, while providing techniques to teens to handle pressure in their lives. An afternoon assembly for students will be held at Seaford High School, followed by an evening program for parents.

The program is being funded through a $10,000 grant the Wellness Council received from the Nassau County Youth Board. DiSilvio said the group is also in the final stages of planning an assembly for middle school students on acceptance of alternative lifestyles. “We’re looking to do new things and more things to broaden the impact of what we can do,” DiSilvio said, stressing the values of these programs for the community’s teenagers.

DiSilvio was re-elected president of the Wellness Council last week, along with Ken Nersesian as vice president, Angela Egan as treasurer, and Coleen Graziose and Peter Ruffner as secretaries. Other board members include Lucie Dean, Donna de la Bastide, Frank DiGregorio, Karen Duncan and MaryAnn Gorman.

“It is a pleasure to be able to serve the Seaford community with this terrific group of people,” DiSilvio said. “Each of these officers possesses a real affection for Seaford.”