(Ed. Note: Ken Massetti, Manhasset High School Social Studies teacher and advisor for The Outpost, read the following statement in tribute to Anthony DeMarinis, Manhasset High School junior and founder of The Outpost, at the Dec. 15 board meeting.)

"Three years ago, during a middle school dance, there was a small table in the corner of the cafeteria with a few boxes of candy and a pushy eighth-grader trying to sell it at a price that the local candy store would be envious of. That small table has evolved into a luxurious storefront ... well, maybe it is not so luxurious. In fact, it looks a lot like a closet with fresh paint, but it is a storefront with a wide choice of healthy...well, to be honest, I guess Slim Jims aren't really healthy. It is a place where kids can come after school to buy snacks and drinks before sporting events and practices. And that pushy eighth-grader selling the candy has grown into a ... well ... a pushy 11th grader selling healthy snacks at ridiculous prices!

"This year, Anthony's vision, The Outpost, will by my estimate contribute more than $8,000 to charities both at home and abroad. When added to the dollars from the past three years, The Outpost will have contributed in excess of $15,000. From those humble beginnings in middle school, The Outpost has had one constant that has enabled it to grow and prosper, Anthony DeMarinis. Anthony does not take "No" for an answer. He has energy to spare and the drive to get things done, even when others around him try to rein him in (mainly me). He has established a legacy for giving that is not only commendable, it is astonishing.

"This year alone, Anthony, with the help of his mom and dad, his family, friends and his group of middle school and high school volunteers has contributed to: Hugs Across America, a local charity that gives teddy bears to needy children; the victims of Hurricane Karina; the International Fund for Animal Welfare (a personal favorite of his); and the South Asian Tsunami Relief Fund. In the past, we have given money to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, a place Anthony knows personally from a surgical procedure he had a few years back. Also, St. Jude's Children's Hospital has also received donations from the Manhasset school store. When Anthony learned last June of the death of his former Shelter Rock teacher, Marie Rogers, he immediately wanted to do something. By the end of the week he had organized a Friday Night Live in her honor, raising over $500 for local soup kitchens in the name of Marie Rogers and presenting it to her husband! Remarkable.

"The Outpost began as a dream and has grown into an institution in the secondary school. What better time to honor Anthony than in the final countdown to Christmas and the holidays. The spirit of giving that should be everywhere this time of year has certainly found a home in that little closet next to the gym.

"As part of the senior graduation requirements, all seniors are required to have 15 hours of community service in their senior year. I took out the calculator last night and started calculating Anthony's hours. If I use the conservative figure of 10 hours per week, times 40 weeks of school, times four years (the number of years Anthony will have worked by the end of his senior year) I got a grand total of 1,600 hours. I realized that Anthony has completed the community service requirement for over half the entire senior class!

"I am proud of Anthony, his staff and all the students who support The Outpost every day. I am honored to present him to the community for this recognition."