Long Beach, N.Y. – On Sunday, January 20, members of the men's and women's track and field team headed to the south shore of Long Island to aid in the cleanup and restoration of Long Beach after the devastation left behind from Superstorm Sandy back in late October. Over 15 members were on site lending a helping hand to the residents of the beach community.
The day started at 9am with members of the teams meeting in Long Beach at the Ice Arena on West Bay Drive. Upon meeting with the Director of Volunteers for the City of Long Beach, he gave everyone instructions on what they would be doing during the day.
After receiving a simple tutorial on how to plant bulbs, the Panthers headed out to their designated sites along West Park Avenue and got right to work. Split into teams, they managed to attend to over 100 planters along the main road over the course of the day and planted seeds that will bloom in the spring.
“It felt great to help out in an area that was in need,” said sophomore distance runner, Larissa Melendez. “Planting seeds now will help Long Beach blossom into the beautiful area it was before Sandy hit, and I am very happy I could chip in and be a part of it.”
“As a coach, it makes me extremely proud to see both the men and women getting up early on the only day they have off during the week and volunteer their time to a great cause,” stated head coach Katie Rees. “It's been nearly three months since Sandy hit and Long Beach still has a lot of clean up and restoration to take care of before it is back to normal. Planting bulbs to help with the beautification of the city was a very gratifying gesture and we were happy we were able to help.”
