It was one of those magical days when the wind made the United States flag and the Olympic flag that flew above Great Neck North High School wave in sync against a sparkling blue sky. As the parade for Olympic gold winner, Sarah Hughes, meandered through Great Neck, the love and admiration for her and all the fine things she represents, was palpable. Along with the expensive professional banners, there were homemade signs, cheers and squeals of delight and the universal comments were, "It's so great to have something so positive to celebrate! This is about family. This is about community. This is about reaching for a dream!"

From the beginning, the Hughes family had wanted the celebration to be inclusive and geared for the children of Great Neck to be major participants. And so it was that children from John F. Kennedy Elementary School drew lots to ride on the float provided by Macy's and children from Kennedy and North Middle School sang for Sarah in a combined chorus. Children had ringside seats and were invited on stage to present Sarah with flowers and teddy bears. Classmates David Leiberman, Jon Sorkowitz, Jeff Fein and Allison Polland representing North High's students, welcomed Sarah back and made it clear that they will still treat her "like a regular kid."

And you may be sure that many parents said to their children that evening, "If Sarah Hughes can do her own laundry, then you can .... "

(Editor's Note: A full story- behind- the -story will follow next week. In the meantime, if you have a few photos that capture a special moment in a very special day, please send them to us. We rely on the kindness of community.)