Freeport students march for peace

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The sight looked like a field of marigolds as hundreds of yellow-clad students from the Freeport School District, joined by friends, family members and prominent community leaders, lined up at Freeport High School to begin their walk east on to Pine Street. Marching for the eighth year, Freeport Cares, in coordination with other Freeport community organizations and the village, held a peace march May 6.

The march is just one of the many efforts that the Freeport Cares organization undertakes to promote peace in the village throughout the year. According to Freeport School District Superintendent Kishore Kuncham, the peace march is an opportunity for the entire school district to come together.

“I’m here to support the peace march to show that I am involved in the community,” said Freeporter Mariela Cruz. “I take pride in the community and want to see peace throughout the community as well. I want [my children] to learn that you have to be involved [and] help each other out because this is your home. This is where [they] are going to grow up, and they have to take care of it.”

Everyone participating wore yellow to represent peace, and many held picket signs with peace messages. With the younger elementary school children holding a banner that read, “Peace on Earth,” the group walked to Bayview Avenue, then to Merrick Road and Brookside, then back to Freeport High School.

“Peace is dear to me … I believe all our actions have a profound, collective effect on the rest of the planet,” Kuncham said.

The march ended around 11 a.m., with participants making their grand entrance into the high school cafeteria, where health and wellness professionals welcomed them. Kuncham, who also participated in the march, passed out bottles of water to the attendees, while the children made their way to the wave board demonstration or lined up to have their faces painted.

While waiting for her husband, Jose Luis Juarez, to have his blood pressure checked by Mary Fullam, nurse manager of the Advantage Care Health Centers, Antonia Nieto raved about the importance of being aware of community events like the peace march to get the children involved in the community.

“Our children are in school here, and they really like it when we participate in these activities,” said Nieto in her native Spanish.

Advantage Care Health Centers was one of several organizations that provided health and wellness information. Other organizations that participated included Planned Parenthood, Fidelis Care New York, Family Health Centers, Friends of Freeport and more.

“It’s quite amazing,” Kuncham said. “Those who take part in the march are very much committed to promoting peace and kindness and all of the good things that we want to see in each other. They repeatedly come together taking part into that.”