Riverhead teachers know how to put on a show — and not just on stage.
Teams of teachers and staff took to the gymnasium floor last night before a sellout crowd to raise money for the district’s PTOs in the PTO Executive Council’s Fourth Annual Crazy Sports Night.
Riverhead High School came out on top in the competition among the district’s various buildings, scoring 27 points. Riverhead Middle School and Aquebogue Elementary tied for second place with 24 points, followed by the district office team (19), Pulaski Street (18), Roanoke (17) and Riley Avenue (16).
Phillips Avenue Elementary School, whose team member Lonnie Hughes suffered a heart attack during last year’s event, sat out this year. The tug-of-war event, which was the event during which the Hughes collapsed in 2014, was eliminated from the competition. EMTs in the gym last year, including a teacher, an audience member and a Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps crew on standby, rushed to the fallen teacher’s side, performed CPR and saved his life. Hughes has returned to work at the elementary school in Flanders.
The $6,077 proceeds from the event will be distributed to the various school PTSOs to benefit the students at each school — except proceeds from a 50-50 raffle and the raffle of a 40-inch flat screen TV by the high school PTSO. The raffle proceeds of over $1,500 were donated to the Krueger family of Calverton.
Tristin Krueger, a Riverhead High School senior, has been battling leukemia since December 2013.
This January, the Kruegers’ home on Twomey Avenue was severely damaged in a fire. Tristin lost almost all his possessions in the fire, which rendered the family home uninhabitable. He has not been in school this year due to his illness.
Tristin’s mom, Raven Krueger, attended last night’s event and took the microphone to thank teachers, students, parents and the entire community for their support.
“It’s been hard. It’s been a little rough,” she said. “I want you to know that we all have hard times. Bad things happen to all of us. There are really only two choices: you can become bitter and resentful and get upset or you can try to see the good. And our family wants you to know that you are part of the good,” Krueger said. “We want to thank you all.”
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl
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