North H.S. volunteers win prize in contest

Members of North High School’s Physical Education Leadership Program were awarded a $1,500 prize on May 27 for taking second place in a “viral video” contest hosted by a local nonprofit organization.

The video earned the students a $1,500 prize from the Long Island Spring Sports Heroes Video Challenge, which asks student-athletes to document their volunteer work and share it to inspire fellow students. The contest was hosted by TeamUp4Community, an organization sponsored by nutritional supplement manufacturer NBTY’s charity arm, Helping Hands.

Members of the program spent a day volunteering with the Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead, a nonprofit and volunteer run organization that provides food and long-term housing for those in need, by helping to fill and stock food pantries in the area.

After they finished, the students put together a 44-second clip of their work, explaining the organization’s purpose and how they were able to give back to their community. The video was then uploaded to TeamUp4Community’s website, where visitors could vote for which one they liked best.

Principal Clifford Odell said that the students’ ability to share their experiences is a powerful tool in recruiting new volunteers.

“Our hope, and that of TeamUp4Community, is that there is a ripple effect, so others will get themselves more involved in community service,” Odell said.

The Leadership Program plans to donate a portion of its prize to the third-place recipient, Carle Place High School’s Key Club, who hosted a fashion show for a local 2-year-old girl suffering from a rare blood condition.