Lindy Alum Starts 'Adopt a Senior' Program For Class Of 2020

LINDENHURST, NY — With coronavirus causing the closure of all schools for the rest of the academic year, this also means the cancellation of all school events. For seniors, this means could mean missing out on special events such as prom and graduation. However, some in the community are still looking for ways to celebrate the class of 2020.

Melissa Young, a Lindenhurst High School Class of 2002 graduate, decided to help the graduating seniors using social media.

"I had come across a post from a Lindenhurst community member who had stated that maybe there was a way that we could do something for the seniors," Young told Patch. "I thought about it for a few minutes and quickly responded. I knew that I had the ability to connect with several teachers and plenty of other Lindy Alumni."

That's when Young started the Facebook group,Lindenhurst High School Class of 2020 Adopt a Senior. She used the page to find community members to "sponsor" one of the seniors. Each sponsor contributed at least $45 to help give each student a special gift package. In addition, Young wrote that she has received several donors and inquiries about donating money for senior sponsorships for the students.

"We greatly appreciate each and everyone of you and what you are doing," she wrote on Facebook. "In order to make it 100 percent fair, every single student will be eligible to receive these sponsorships no matter what your post high school plans include. In order to maximize these opportunities, no student will receive more than one sponsorship."

Young said she had hope to get enough sponsors to cover each graduated. Within 20 hours she had over 470 sponsors and more who wanted to be a part of it and she decided to open up the program to whomever wanted to join. Now, she has received enough sponsors for the whole class with over 1,000 community members, alumni, family members, teachers, faculty and administrators signing up to "sponsor a senior."