Fundraising Boosts Lacrosse Program

The Schreiber High School Boys’ Lacrosse team’s goal of establishing the Vikings as a major presence in Port Washington has gotten a big assist from a unique combination of local businesses, a very supportive parent organization and North Hempstead Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio.

From pumpkins to pies to candles to candy bars, the team has launched a successful fund raising initiative that has not only enhanced the program but has gotten them recognition for charitable contributions to autism and Hurricane Sandy relief in Long Beach.  The boys have become a familiar sight throughout Port, always dressed in their self-designed purple uniforms, selling products donated by businesses such as Bayles Nursery (pumpkins in the fall), Main Street Bakery (pies for Thanksgiving) and Lou Babs & Moogs (gift candles in December). Main Street Bakery’s owner and Master Chef Mike Mignano even created the QuikStik for the Vikings, a chocolate candy bar, and donated 100 of them to the fundraising efforts. Arizona Iced Tea, whose owners live in Sands Point, have helped cut down on team expenses by donating water and energy drinks to both the varsity and junior varsity for the entire season.

On The Bay: April 12, 2013

When the new racing rules were published this year, rule-makers added environmental rules in addition to all the other changes that sailors and racers are busy learning before the season begins. According to The Racing Rules of Sailing 2013-2016, “participants are encouraged to minimize any adverse environmental impact of the sport of sailing.”  New to Rule 55 is the addition of the word “intentionally” so the rule now reads “a competitor shall not intentionally put trash in the water.” Additionally, Rule 55 applies at all times when boats are on the water, not only for racing boats.  (Resource: David Dellenbaugh’s Speed &Smarts Newsletter #124).

To bring home the point of the importance of keeping Manhasset Bay and Long Island Sound environmentally healthy, the Nautical Advisory Council (NAC) of the Port Washington Public Library, with funding from the Port Washington Library Foundation, recently invited Tom Andersen, Save the Sound’s New York Program and Communications Coordinator, to present an update on local water conditions on at the library. After a number of years of improved conditions, the past summer the western Sound (including Manhasset Bay) had some of the lowest levels of dissolved oxygen recorded in 25 years. Western Long Island Sound has been labeled a “low oxygen dead zone” – during parts of August 2012, the waters off Westchester and Nassau counties dropped to almost nothing. 

On The Bay: April 5, 2013

Women sailors from New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland will compete this summer in a new international match race series with a purse of $50,000 for the winner, with one of the races to be held in July at the Oakcliff Sailing Center in Oyster Bay.

“The women sailors have asked for a long time to have a Series of their own and WIMRA is thrilled to be in a position to work with our international event partner to make this happen”, says WIMRA Executive Director and former Match Racing World Champion, Liz Baylis. “The Weymouth Olympics highlighted the spectacular nature of match racing and the Women’s International Match Racing Series is going to take that to new heights.”

Row for Autism

The Second Annual Row for Autism benefit event is Saturday, April 13 at North Hempstead Beach Park at 8 a.m. The event began last year with the goal of combining two interests:  the love of rowing, and the need to raise awareness of the growing number of children with autism. Seven area schools participated last year in the first regatta on our local waters, with more than 1,000 people attending. Over $20,000 was raised for the purchase of specialized adaptive rowing equipment, which enables a disabled teenager to be paired with a typical peer mentor. Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio and the North Hempstead Town Board, in partnership with Friends of Port Rowing, are sponsoring the event. Residents can donate online at www.PortRowing.com.

On The Bay: March 22, 2013

Something very exciting is happening over at Oakcliff Sailing Center in Oyster Bay. There is a new international match race series for women with a purse of $50,000 for the winner. The series will have five high-level women’s match racing events in 2013
, with prize money at each event. Within minutes, once the entry process was opened, teams form New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland had signed on. A dozen teams are expected to be battling it out from May through August.

“The women sailors have asked for a long time to have a Series of their own and WIMRA is thrilled to be in a position to work with our international event partner to make this happen,” says WIMRA executive director and former Match Racing World Champion, Liz Baylis. “The Weymouth Olympics highlighted the spectacular nature of match racing and the Women’s International Match Racing Series is going to take that to new heights. With events in France, Korea, Denmark, the United States and Sweden, spectators will be able to experience in person the excitement of the top women sailors dueling on the water.”

Super Sports Sunday

Approximately 30 children, accompanied by parents and grandparents, shared an afternoon of sports, pizza, and fun at Family Super Sports Sunday. This fundraiser event, hosted on Feb. 17, was made possible through generous in-kind donations from some of our community business owners, the Port Washington Children’s Center family community, and members of its board. Children ages 3-11 and their families participated in a number of fun sports activities and games facilitated by Unlimited Sports Action and enjoyed a pizza lunch donated by Carlo’s, Frank’s, and Pepe Rosso. Highlights from the day included obstacle course; parachute; dodge ball; and children vs. parents’ tug-of-war.

For more information about the Port Washington Children’s Center, visit the website at http://www.portwashington childrenscenter.org.

Swimmers Qualify To Compete

Port Washington residents Madeline Competello, Caitlin Knight, and Derek Knight have qualified to compete at the 2013 Metropolitan Swimming Junior Olympics. These young swimmers will compete representing the nationally ranked host team, Long Island Aquatic Club (LIAC). Each year, LIAC sends a large squad to the Junior Olympics to compete for the titles as the best age group swimmers in the Metropolitan LSC. Bridget Moody is a qualifier for the Junior National Championship meet to take place in Orlando Florida the same week. This is an extremely admirable accomplishment as only a select number of swimmers nationwide qualify each year. Bridget got her start at the Metropolitan Junior Olympics as an age group swimmer and is proud to represent LIAC and Long Island at the national level.

Laxers Are Champs

The Port Washington Class of 2022 lacrosse team completed an undefeated winter season by slipping past previously undefeated Farmingdale and the LI Express in back-to-back games at the Long Island Sports Hub. Port also defeated Syosset, Northport, North Shore and the Roughriders en route to the Winter League Championship. The little laxers were impressive as they outscored their opponents 81-30 on the season.

Playing for the winter champs were Jasper Abrahams, Andrew Avazis, Andy Feinstein, Cristo Freitas, Max Garmisa, Hudson Greenberg, Henry Haberman, Sean Jacobs, Ben Krefetz, Gavin Lemeiux, Nicolas Sonnenklar, Kevin Taylor, James Tyras and Nicholas Valente.

The boys look forward to getting outside and competing for PYA in the PAL spring league starting on March 14.

A Day For Sydney

The Port Washington Youth Activities (PYA) girls basketball teams, grades third through seventh, had a special day on Saturday, March 2, in honor of Sydney, a Port Washington resident and PYA athlete who is recovering from a serious sledding accident.

Each player received a wristband in Sydney’s favorite colors of light blue and purple to wear as a sign of solidarity and support for Sydney and her family. The backboards to the basketball hoops and the entrance to the Weber Gym were decorated with light blue and purple bows that were generously donated by S.F. Falconers.

On The Bay: March 8, 2013

At an emotional ceremony today at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, Johnny Heineken (Larkspur, Calif.) and Jennifer French (St. Petersburg, Fla.) were celebrated as US Sailing’s 2012 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. Formally announced in January after being chosen for their outstanding on-water sailing accomplishments in 2012, the honorees were joined by family, friends, sailing dignitaries, fellow sailors and members of the media for a luncheon program.

The event was emceed by former US Sailing President Gary Jobson and the luncheon included a multi-media retrospective of their rise to the top of the sport. Heineken, the 2012 Kiteboarding Course Racing World Champion, and French, the 2012 Paralympic Silver Medalist in the SKUD-18 class, each gave heartfelt speeches after being awarded specially engraved stainless steel and platinum Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Masters, symbolic of their achievements in excellence, by Rolex Watch U.S.A. President and CEO Stewart Wicht.