Community

Shoreham-Wading River Column: Vote online today to fund Miller Avenue playground

We’re deep within the Christmas season and have begun shopping for gifts and thinking about doing special things for special people.

Little Flower Children’s Services of Wading River is currently conducting its annual toy and gift drive. Visit littleflowerny.org to download their wish list or to make a donation so that you can make the holidays a little brighter for a child in their care. For more information or to schedule a delivery, call 929-6200, ext. 1171, or email [email protected]. The entire Little Flower family thanks you for your continued generosity and compassion.

For a much needed gift that won’t cost you a dime, consider this: The Miller Avenue PTO is trying to obtain two grants from the Clorox and Pepsi companies for $50K each for a new playground at the school and they need your help. The school that receives the most votes will receive the grants. Children are also eligible to vote. The school cannot win the money unless each of us helps out by voting each day through Dec. 9. To vote on the Pepsi website visit pepsi. com. To vote on the Clorox website visit PowerABrightFuture.com or text the message clorox3946 to 44144 (one vote per day). I did it and it works!

Those voting at the Clorox website must register their email address. After you register, click the “Log In” tab and enter your email address and password. Hit the “Play” category, type in keyword “Miller Avenue,” locate the school and vote. One click a day could make the difference between the playground they currently have and a brand-new one. Wouldn’t that be a great idea for a great Christmas gift at a great price?

Shoreham-Wading River High School’s music department presented their holiday gift to the community — their 2011 fall concert. Steven Fayette’s Symphony Orchestra performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” arranged by Victor Lopez; Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” arranged by David Kerr; and John Williams’ “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Dennis Creighton’s High School Concert Choir, accompanied by Sandy Fayette on piano, performed Lilly Allen’s “Chinese,” arranged by Rachel Santesso (with solo performances by Kerri Beacon, Laura Lee, Rachel Hunter and Amelia Valdes); “Three Madrigals” by Emma Lou Diemer; W.A. Mozart’s “Lacrymosa from Requiem”; Karl Jenkins’ “Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary”, with flute and percussion solos by Michelle Wern and Victoria Creta; “Soon-Ah Will Be Done” by William Dawson; and “God Bless the Child” by A.Herzog Jr./B. Holiday, with soloists Taylor Burgess and Victoria Creta. David Minelli’s Concert Band presented the songs “Summer Dances” by Brian Balmages, “Seize the Day” by Patrick J. Burns, “Nilesdance” by David R. Holsinger and “Hail to the Spirit of Liberty” march by John Philip Sousa, adapted by H.R. Gore. Your direction, accompaniment and performance was extraordinarily beautiful and all who attended thank you for your gift.

Whether you’ll be giving a gift to a special little someone, making it possible for a special someone to play on a new playground, or you gave a gift from the gifts that God gave you, you deserve to be thanked.

Be well until we meet here again next week.

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