Monday, June 23, 2025
Before summer breaks, sixth-grade students at Lawrence Road Middle School raised funds to support the elimination of homelessness on Long Island and improve lives of those facing homelessness.
That’s the mission of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless that the middle school raised $1,000 and had a check presentation on Thursday, May 8.
This donation marked the conclusion of the school’s Read-a-Thon initiative, which began earlier this year and aimed to promote reading while supporting those in need.
The school hopes the initiative will continue next year and incorporate the seventh and eighth grade as well.
“We’re focusing on the sixth grade to build a community of readers, and we also wanted to come up with an idea of giving back to the community,” Di Russo said in January. “So we are doing the Read-a-Thon also where they are able to get sponsors for their reading and collect money that we will donate to both the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, as well as for our own students at Lawrence Road that are currently experiencing hard times.”
A Read-a-Thon is a school fundraiser where students read for a set period and collect sponsorships for their reading time. These events encourage literacy and raise money for important causes, with students often earning prizes for their participation.
