Senator Carl Marcellino Recognizes Students For their Commitment to Raising Money for Midnight Run

ST. DOMINIC HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPATES IN

MSG VARSITY/CABLEVISION POWER TO LEARN CHARITY CHAMPIONS PROGRAM

Oyster Bay, NY, December 15, 2011 – Cablevision’s MSG Varsity and Power to Learn, along with Senator Carl Marcellino, today recognized students at St. Dominic High School for participating in this year’s Charity Champions, a program from Power to Learn that promotes volunteerism and encourages area high schools to raise funds for a charity of their choice.  The school was presented with $1000 to be donated to Midnight Run and also received $500 for the furtherance of the students’ charitable activities. 

At the event, Senator Marcellino recognized the students for their dedication to the charity, Cablevision Director of Government Affairs Jeff Clark discussed the Charity Champions program and student advisor Matthew O’Brien spoke about the school’s involvement with Charity Champions.  Midnight Run Vice President Billy Preston was then presented with a $1000 check.  A $500 check was also presented to student advisor O’Brien and freshman moderator Annemarie Perro.  As part of their efforts, the students organized over 3,500 articles of donated clothing and made various stops during the night where the homeless congregate and distributed the clothing to them.  Midnight Run is a volunteer organization comprised of schools, churches, synagogues, and civic associations dedicated to providing the homeless with essentials necessary for survival.  The late-night relief efforts create a forum for trust, sharing and understanding.

Said Senator Marcellino, “It is so refreshing to see the enthusiastic students here this evening coming together to help the homeless.  It’s clear that they are extremely committed and through their direct interaction with those less fortunate they will realize firsthand how important their help is.  I applaud MSG Varsity and Power to Learn for the Charity Champions program.” 

“I’d like to thank MSG Varsity and Power to Learn for recognizing the efforts of our students,” said student advisor O’Brien.  “It is important for teens to realize that they can make a difference in people’s lives and its programs like Charity Champions that allow them to do just that.”

Midnight Run Vice President Preston added, “The students here today are a true inspiration and I have complete confidence that these young people, through their fundraising efforts, will be able to offer some relief to the homeless. I’d also like to thank MSG Varsity and Power to Learn for recognizing their efforts and for their generous donation.”

Notes Cablevision Director of Government Affairs Clark, “MSG Varsity/Power to Learn’s Charity Champions is a wonderful way to encourage charitable efforts at the high school level.  It provides students with a terrific opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives and provides a deserving charity, such as Midnight Run, with additional support.  We congratulate the students at St. Dominic High School for their participation.”

Power to Learn has launched its second annual Charity Champions competition for the 2011-2012 school year.  Charity Champions promotes volunteerism and helps to raise money for a school-selected charity.  Students commit time and effort to raising money, competing against other schools, and contributing the funds raised.  A grand-prize winner from participating schools in each of the six tri-state regions that Cablevision serves will be selected in the spring and awarded $5000 for their school’s chosen charity.

Power to Learn, Cablevision’s nationally recognized education initiative, is dedicated to integrating technology into education.  Through its “Triple Play for Education” program, Cablevision provides its full suite of video, high-speed Internet and digital voice-over-cable services to schools for educational use.  These services are available free of charge to K-12 schools across the company's service area in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and four western states.  In addition to providing the technology, Power to Learn also provides innovative educational curricula and tools designed to make technology useful to teachers, students and parents.  More information and content is available at www.powertolearn.com.