Neighbor News
Hauppauge’s Nielsen and Riverhead’s Sumwalt Win Dellecave Award
Award is named in memory of the legendary educator, official, and coach Gaetano "Butch" Dellecave.
Hauppauge High School senior Jake Nielsen and Riverhead High School senior Ava Lily Sumwalt were recently honored with the Butch Dellecave Award at a ceremony held at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook.
Named in memory of the legendary educator, official, and coach Gaetano “Butch” Dellecave, the award is the product of a highly successful 22-year partnership between local school districts in Suffolk County and the award organizers: the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, the Butch Dellecave Foundation, and Newsday.
Athletic Directors from all sixty-six Suffolk County school districts are asked to nominate one male and one female from their high school senior class. Nominees must be students who not only are at the top of their game, but also score high in classroom performance and in their commitment to local community service.
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Nielsen placed first in the New York State 50 freestyle swim this past season. He has been named Section XI Swimmer of the Year and Newsday Swimmer of the Year. Committed to volunteerism, he has served as a lifeguard for the Hauppauge Community Swim Program and as a classroom helper for kindergarteners with special needs. An honor-roll student at Hauppauge High School, he will transition to SUNY Geneseo and swim for Geneseo Blue Wave.
Sumwalt was a four-year varsity starter and team captain for field hockey and lacrosse and a four-year varsity starter for winter track. A member of the National Honor Society, she earned a 105.10 weighted GPA. Her community-service resume includes fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and speaking at elementary and middle schools about the importance of athletics. She will attend the University of Pittsburgh, where she will continue to play lacrosse.
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About the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc.
The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc. – a not-for- profit 501(c)(3) community-based organization – has been serving Suffolk County since 1967. It is the county’s federally designated Community Action Agency, designed to assist low-income families and individuals. The agency’s mission is to promote a goal of self-sufficiency by broadening the minds of children, revitalizing communities, and assisting families and children in need through coordination of public and private resources. For more information, go to www.eoc-suffolk.com.
