Oceanside lacrosse honors Ava Salonia

In a tribute to the memory of Ava Salonia, the Oceanside High School girls’ varsity and junior varsity lacrosse teams dedicated their April 16 games to the 16-year-old who died last August after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Ava grew up playing youth lacrosse in Oceanside, and her sisters, sophomore Ella and seventh-grader Angie, also play. There was a moment of silence before the teams’ games against Roslyn, and several of Ava’s friends paid tribute to her. The varsity squad won its game, 13-3, and the JV won 10-0.

“Our students that were on the field wanted to show respect for Ava, and let her family and her sisters on the varsity team make sure that it was done in a respectful way, and everybody was supportive of the family and Ava moving forward,” the high school’s athletic director, Tom Lehman, said. “To be able to kind of turn around, with all those emotions running, and playing at a high level was impressive to see. The most impressive thing about sports is that the Roslyn community, the players, the families and the coaches, everybody was supportive and on board. Sports highlight that it’s bigger than the game, and it can bring communities together.”

Ava was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, in September 2022, and underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy in the months that followed while awaiting a bone marrow transplant. She received the transplant in February, but a month later, a biopsy showed the presence of leukemic cells.

“When she got diagnosed, it was really hard,” said her friend Reilly Mohr. “We spent as much time as we could together, with her being in and out of the hospital and stuff, and I’m glad that I got to know Ava, because she just really was such a nice person. Inside and out, she really was beautiful.”

The dedication games, for which both the varsity and JV teams wore special jerseys adorned with orange socks, symbolizing childhood leukemia and Eva’s battle, were marked by emotional speeches and solemn moments of remembrance. Players including her close friends spoke about their cherished memories with her and the legacy she left behind.

“Ava was a special person who was kind, caring and, most of all, the strongest person we have ever known,” said Julianna Ewashko, her friend since first grade. “I feel like it’s more important now, as time goes on, to keep doing these events about her. So nobody forgets and she’s always remembered.”

Remembered as a model student and athlete, Ava is survived by hundreds of loved ones and supporters. “Ava’s Army,” a Facebook group more than 500 strong, was created to support the Salonia family during her illness. Jennifer Gemmo, whose daughter, Samantha, was a friend of Ava’s, is the group’s coordinator.

“There was a lot involved in the planning,” Gemmo said of the lacrosse game dedication. “The coaches knew, the athletic director knew. We prepared a slide show of all the different pictures to put on the scoreboards during the game. I was very emotional preparing for it, and I think during the time when the girls were giving the speeches, it was very emotional.”

“Ava’s Army” documented Ava’s battle and, along with local businesses, raised money to help the Salonia family cover the costs of treatment she received at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, in Queens. Members of the Facebook group created T-shirts reading “Ava’s Army.”

In her memory, the group has planned several initiatives, including a lacrosse scholarship at Oceanside High. The group also created the Love Ava Project in collaboration with the children’s hospital, which came about after a group member, Marcella Abbott, visited Ava there. Abbott’s business, the Glamping Party Company, creates makeup bags, and Abbott filled a bag with makeup kits and party stickers for Ava to decorate them with while she was hospitalized. She designed bags for her friends, her mother, Jessica, her sisters and the nurses who treated her. On the back of each bag, her mother wrote, “Love Ava.”

The bags from the Love Ava Project are sent to the children’s hospital so other kids can enjoy creating them, as Ava did, and for every bag purchased from Abbott’s company, one is donated to the hospital floor where Ava received her treatment. All the proceeds from the bag purchases will go to Ava’s pending scholarship and the Salonia family.

Brianna O’Hagan, general manager of EGP Oceanside, is in the process of establishing the Love Ava Project as a nonprofit.

Jessica Salonia reflected on the overwhelming support from the community during the dedication games. She expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love from Oceanside, and highlighted the impact it had on her daughter during her illness.

“It’s always nice when the community comes out,” Jessica said. “Since day one, from the day that she was diagnosed, everybody embraced us and supported us 100 percent. It’s always nice to see that many people come out for her. Every time during her illness, things were being done in her name. Her jaw dropped and she couldn’t believe it. She was on the quieter side, and was never one for attention being put on her. So for her, it made her feel good. She enjoyed the support. It made her feel loved and special.”