Hauppauge Student Strives to Save Children in a Half-Marathon Run for Rollstone on Oct. 3

When he attended The Rollstone Foundation’s first Save One event in 2007 at the age of seven, Andrew Crecca, Jr. learned firsthand about the plight of special needs and HIV-positive children living in orphanages around the world. Since then, he’s met many of the children who‘ve been adopted as a result of The Rollstone Foundation’s efforts. Now 15, Crecca will personally help bring special needs children home to their adoptive families by running the Great South Bay Run half marathon on Saturday, October 3 in Islip.

“My goal is to raise $5,000 but it would be great to exceed that amount. I’ve seen how Rollstone actually saves kids’ lives,” says Crecca, a varsity member of the Hauppauge High School cross country team, who has been training for the upcoming race since the spring. Reaching out to friends and family, he has raised more than $4,000 so far. “These are orphaned kids who are born with conditions or diseases that might be treatable here, but they can’t get the right medicines where they live. They need help, they need medical care and they also need love. They need their families.”

International adoption can cost more than $25,000, a sum many families willing to adopt a special needs child can’t afford, according to Michael Dawidziak, board president and co-founder of The Rollstone Foundation with his wife Pamela Greene. The couple witnessed their daughter’s experience in adopting special needs children and founded the nonprofit organization in 2007. “Rollstone helps adoptive families cover the cost of adoption so these children can come home and receive the care, love and support they need to grow up strong,” says Dawidziak.

While all donations go directly to the cause, Rollstone is forced to decline many applications each month due to the sheer number of them. “Every donation makes a difference in the life of a child in need,” says Crecca. “Mike and Pam really have inspired me, and I wanted to see what I could do to help. I’m excited about the run -- it’s my first halfmarathon -- but I think the best part will be helping a child join their family and start on a path towards being healthy and happy.”

Donations to sponsor Crecca’s run can be made by visiting https://www.crowdrise.com and inserting Andrew Crecca Jr. in the search bar in the top right corner of the page.

The Rollstone Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity and donations are tax deductible. To learn more, visit http://therollstonefoundation.com./