Greenport Students Help Autistic Kids After Devastating Wildfires

GREENPORT, NY — Greenport High School students will be raising their voices to help autistic children in Sonoma County whose school was destroyed after October's devastating wildfires.

The Anova Center for Education, a non for profit educational facility for autistic children, burned down on Oct. 8 during the wildfires that ripped through Sonoma County.

On the North Fork, students want to help: The GPO-TV Club, the high school's student TV broadcasting group, "has initiated a powerful and purposeful project using video to spread an important message of hope and inspiration. In the wake of the many tragedies, Puerto Rico, Florida, Houston, Caribbean Islands and Las Vegas, the California wildfires add to these disasters of epic proportions. Many of us are left wondering what we can do. The students of Greenport, in their GPO-TV Club will be sharing a message of hope, like a phoenix rising from the ashes," a release from the Greenport Union Free School District said.

To that end, the TV Club is creating a public service announcement for Anova.

Farms, orchards, vineyards and tourism portray the heart of both the Sonoma Valley and the North Fork of Long Island, the students believe.

“Not only does this message of hope link two costal communities from New York to California, it also gives our high school students a unique opportunity to experience the value of producing a positive statement to help others,” Karrieann Damon, teacher advisor of the GPO TV club, said.

Greenport High School Principal Gary Kalish added, “This is another example of providing students with valuable skills in the communications industry giving them future college and career readiness opportunities as they leave high school.”

And, said Greenport School Superintendent David Gamberg, "Touching the lives of others, both near and far, is a valuable life lesson. In this case while not our neighbors, the school community impacted by the recent wildfires on the West Coast of the United States is not too dissimilar from our own school community. Learning compassion does not end at the border of our school, our community, or even New York State."

The PSA, currently in production, is slated to be finished by Thanksgiving, "making it a timely statement of gratitude during the holiday season. The video will include testimonials from various people involved in the autism community as well as some celebrity endorsements of the initiative," the district said.

The school's plight has touched the hearts of many across the country who want to help.

A GoFundMe page, "Help Autism School Rise From The Ashes," has raised $141,563 of its $475,000 goal so far.

"Thankfully, none of the school's students were injured in the fire, but the blaze now leaves 120 students ranging from 5 to 22 years old without a school. All donations will go toward rebuilding our K-12 classrooms, transition program, occupational therapy equipment, and many other specialized needs of our students. We are more than just a school, we offer an environment where our students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally," the page said.

In addition to losing its entire campus and all of its contents, the school had spent 2 years raising $75,000 for a playground structure that was delivered a few days before the fire and burned to the ground in a box.

"We will rise from the ashes and need your help to rebuild our beloved school," the GoFundMe page says.

To donate, click here.

For additional information on the Anova Center for Education, click here.

Photos courtesy GoFundMe.