Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn Recognizes Students for Commitment to Raising Money for ‘Friends of Karen’
(Port Jefferson Station, NY) – MSG Varsity and Optimum Power to Learn, along with Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, today recognized TASK student government and LEAP Club students at Comsewogue High School for participating in this year’s Charity Champions, a program from Power to Learn that promotes volunteerism and encourages area high schools to raise funds for a charity of their choice. The school was presented with $1000 to be donated to “Friends of Karen,” a non-profit organization that supports critically ill children and their families, and also received $500 for the furtherance of the students’ charitable activities.
At the event, which took place at the start of the second half of the Night for Jason Talent Show, emcee/student advisor Dana Urbinati spoke about the school’s involvement with Charity Champions and Legislator Hahn recognized the students for their dedication to the charity. A check for $1000 was presented to “Friends of Karen” Regional Director Mrs. Mariano, who thanked the students, MSG Varsity and Power to Learn. The Night for Jason Talent Show was started 25 years ago in honor of Jason Mariano, a student in the district who passed away from leukemia. “Friends of Karen” was selected as the school’s charity of choice in recognition of the support they provided to Jason’s family throughout his illness.
Pictured (l. to r.) are Legislator Hahn, Friends of Karen Regional Director Nancy Mariano, Cablevision Representative Allison Aylward and Night for Jason Talent Show student advisor Dana Urbinati.
Said Legislator Hahn, “This charity is clearly ‘near and dear’ to the hearts of the students and faculty at Comsewogue High School. Both emotional and financial support is so critical to families living with a child who has a life-threatening illness. I commend all of the students involved with this evening’s event and other planned fundraising activities and also thank MSG Varsity and Power to Learn for making this program available to them.”
Notes Cablevision Director of Education Evelyn Cruise, “The MSG Varsity/Power to Learn Charity Champions program is focused on encouraging charitable efforts at the high school level. It offers students a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference in other people’s lives and provides a deserving charity, such as “Friends of Karen,” with additional support. We congratulate the students at Comsewogue High School for their participation.”
Power to Learn has launched its fourth annual Charity Champions competition for the 2012-2013 school year. Charity Champions promotes volunteerism and helps to raise money for a school-selected charity. Students commit time and effort to raising money, competing against other schools, and contributing the funds raised. A grand-prize winner from participating schools in each of the six tri-state regions that Cablevision serves will be selected in the spring and awarded $5000 for their school’s chosen charity.
Power to Learn, Cablevision’s nationally recognized education initiative, is dedicated to integrating technology into education. Through its “Triple Play for Education” technology offer, Cablevision provides its full suite of video, high-speed Internet and digital voice-over-cable services to schools for educational use. These services are available free of charge to K-12 schools across the company’s service area in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and four western states. In addition to providing the technology, Power to Learn also provides innovative educational curricula and tools designed to make technology useful to teachers, students and parents. More information and content is available at www.powertolearn.com.
About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation’s leading media and telecommunications companies. In addition to delivering its Optimum-branded cable, Internet, and voice offerings throughout the New York area, the company owns and operates cable systems serving homes in four Western states. Cablevision’s local media properties include News 12 Networks, MSG Varsity and Newsday Media Group. Cablevision also owns and operates Clearview Cinemas. Additional information about Cablevision is available on the Web at www.cablevision.com.
About MSG Varsity
MSG Varsity is a multi-platform suite of services comprised of: a 24/7 high-definition television network, a comprehensive online destination, and a groundbreaking interactive service, all dedicated to high school sports, academics and activities happening throughout the tri-state area. Content for these services includes MSG Varsity’s professionally produced programming as well as content created by the high schools themselves. Working in partnership with MSG Varsity, students and faculty are given extraordinary access to curriculum and training in multimedia creation and distribution, empowering them to become active participants in telling their school’s stories. MSG Varsity is a Cablevision exclusive service not available to satellite or phone company TV subscribers and reaches three million households throughout the New York market.
For more information, please visit www.msgvarsity.com.
