Lynbrook student featured on Nickelodeon show

Sydney Park, host of Nickelodeon’s “The Halo Effect,” visited Lynbrook High School when the network taped an episode starring senior Ray Mohler, right.

Courtesy Nickelodeon

The host of Nickelodeon’s ‘The Halo Effect’ surprised Ray Mohler Jr. with a check for $10,000 for the Little Saint Nick organization.

Courtesy Nickelodeon

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A Lynbrook High School senior was featured Monday night on an episode of “The Halo Effect,” a series on the popular cable network Nickelodeon, for his work helping hospitalized children cope with their experiences through entertainment, education and activities.

“It’s a tremendous honor, and the whole experience was very unique,” said Ray Mohler Jr., 18. Nickelodeon’s producers first contacted him in August to learn more about the Little St. Nick Foundation, which Mohler and his family founded in 2003.

When he was 4, Ray was hospitalized with a degenerative hip disease that forced him to wear braces on both legs for two years. He learned firsthand how difficult it is for a child to be hospitalized for a long period of time with nothing to do. His birthday is Christmas Eve, and when he turned 6, he asked his parents if he could take half of his presents to the hospital to share them with other children. This earned him the nickname “Little St. Nick.” He thoroughly enjoyed the experience, so he built on it by holding toy drives, donating video game systems to pediatric centers, and granting wishes to sick children.

The Nickelodeon series focuses on teens who “help and lead others” in their communities and inspire others to do the same. In each episode, viewers get a glimpse of the profiled teen’s daily life, and for Mohler’s show, the crew filmed at Lynbrook High School. “I actually did a lot of filming at my school, and a good chunk of students are in it,” Ray said, adding, “Everyone is really excited.”

The series premiered on Jan. 18, and although Mohler’s episode wasn’t the first to air, portions of it were shot at the foundation’s annual golf outing last October. “I’ve watched [the show] to see how mine will compare based on the structure,” Mohler said. He said he liked learning about other young people doing charitable work, and thinks the series is “awesome.”

Since its inception, the Little St. Nick Foundation has donated more than a half million toys, entertainment centers and electronics. In recognition of his commitment to helping hospitalized children, Sydney Park, host of “The Halo Effect,” surprised Mohler with a $10,000 grant for the organization on behalf of Nickelodeon at the end of filming.