“At Need” children receive the gift of a Christmas shopping spree

Fifty “at need” youngsters got an early start on the Christmas season with an all-expense-paid trip to Emagine Toys in Oceanside, courtesy of a Long Island philanthropist who hopes this act of kindness will serve as a reminder to others that this is the season of giving to those in need of help.

Michael Sapraicone, founder and CEO of Long Island based Squad Security, sponsored a morning of holiday shopping for deserving youngsters from the Academy Charter School’s Hempstead and Uniondale campuses. In addition to a $50 gift certificate for children to select gifts along the toy aisles, he also provided each of the children’s families with a gift certificate for a hot holiday meal available at Stop & Shop.

“This has been a very difficult year for so many Long Island families. Many of these children did not have a traditional Christmas last year and with the emergence of the Omicron variant, we can’t say what this year’s holiday will look like. This is an opportunity to offer a simple act of kindness that I hope others will embrace and repeat on their own,” stated Sapraicone.

Bishop Barrington Goldson, the founder of The Academy Charter School and the spiritual leader of the Calvary Tabernacle Church, says “The generosity of Squad Security and the Sapraicone family underscores the spirit of the holiday season. We are so appreciative of their effort during this very difficult time to make sure that so many children who would have done without will be provided for. Mike is doing much more than providing these children with toys and their family with a holiday meal, he has lifted up their spirits and created a Christmas memory that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.”