Riley teacher, Jimmy Schaefer, a Riverhead Raceway fan, dropped the checkered flag to start the Walk-a-Thon fund-raiser by the third and fourth graders of the Riley Avenue School. The students walked the equivalent of a mile around the field at the rear of the school on the morning of Halloween, October 31, to raise funds for the Trinca Family, in a project called "Riley Gives Back" to the community. Kindergarten classes took turns in cheering the third and fourth graders on as they took laps around the field.
A costume-free event, the 3rd and 4th grade students wanted to do something special AND meaningful on Halloween in lieu of a costume parade. Mr. Schaefer suggested that the Riley community could help the Riverhead Raceway enthusiastic Trinca family, who suffered a devastating loss last month, when mom, Keri, and son, Jason, a young racing enthusiast, were killed in a horrific Manorville crash. Younger siblings, Christopher and Maria were critically injured, and Maria continues to be hospitalized. (The family is in need of support for medical expenses and to enable the father to take care of his two surviving children.)
Mr. Schaefer estimated that the Walk-A-Thon raised about $5,000 for the Trinca Family.
“Halloween can become all about how you look and what you get,” noted teacher Beth Menis. “What a wonderful lesson to teach our students on Halloween that you can still have fun, but help others at the same time.”
Photo Caption: The students wearing special t-shirts and carrying the banner at the front of the Trinca Family Walk-A-Thon were honored for their outstanding effort in the fundraiser.