Garden City Teacher Honored With Leadership Award

Garden City reading teacher Brenda McCarthy from Stewart Elementary School was recently awarded the Chairman’s Leadership Award by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Long Island chapter. Through McCarthy’s leadership, Stewart School has remained one of the strongest fundraising schools for the Long Island chapter.

Each year, the organization celebrates supporters who have significantly impacted its mission of finding a cure for blood cancers and improving the quality of life of its patients and affected families. The Chairman’s Leadership Award recognizes a single individual who has been active in a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society chapter for at least three years, and has provided expertise and guidance that has helped the chapter achieve new levels of success.

Inspired by her own family’s experience with cancer and that of a handful of her students, McCarthy spearheaded the Pennies for Patients fundraising campaign at Stewart. Under her leadership, Stewart has remained the program’s top fundraising school on Long Island, having raised a total of $161,564 since 2015.

McCarthy was presented with her award from Leukemia & Lymphoma Society officials during a special ceremony held at Stewart School in December. She was also honored by the Garden City Board Education at its December meeting.