Working Together To Make A Difference

On a recent Sunday, Smithtown East High School’s Leadership Club, was busy hosting a community fundraiser at the East Side Grill in St. James. As participants in Optimum Community’s Charity Champions, which supports students’ charitable activities and donates money to a high school-selected charity, the students commit time and effort to raising money, competing against other schools, and contributing the funds raised. This year, the high school club members chose The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, an organization focused on supporting new research, which helps many suffering from this deadly, but common disease. To benefit their selected charity, the students took time out of their busy schedules and spent the afternoon making sure the event went smoothly. Club members and advisor Morgan Tavis coordinated with the restaurant’s owners to donate 15% of all the evening’s proceeds to their selected charity. In addition, students solicited local businesses and created colorful baskets as raffles to create an exciting evening for all attendees.