Students Team Up To Honor Local Firefighters, EMTs

NORTH FORK, NY — Local students have opened their hearts and shared their collective talents to honor the volunteer firefighters and EMTs in their North Fork communities.

Students at Greenport and Southold High School have both paid tribute to the volunteers, according to David Gamberg, superintendent of both the Southold and Greenport school districts.

In April, Greenport students organized and hosted a spaghetti dinner, where they showed a 10-minute video, “The Fireman Legacy."

Greenport High School senior Colin Rossetti explained why he and others believed the effort was important: “This was a great way to express our appreciation for members of our community who provide such a valuable and important service for others," he said.

(Greenport Union Free School District)

Next, Southold students have also organized an event, scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. — where a crowd of around 80, including volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and their guests, will attend the spaghetti dinner and showing of Firefighter Legacy, a SOHO TV News produced video, similar to the video created by Greenport students, Gamberg said.

The dinner will be served in the high school gymnasium, while the video will be “premiered” in the district's auditorium, Gamberg said.

After the dinner, members of the Southold Fire Department and their guests will be given tours
of the newly renovated school facilities, led by the school’s “student ambassadors.”

“This is another example of how our students recognize the contributions of people in their community,” Gamberg said. "It is also a great example of how the TV broadcasting programs in both districts serve as a valuable platform to reach out into the community and share the talent of our students.”

He added: "At a time when some in society do not always see the importance of service to others, it is helpful to highlight examples of real heroes who walk among us in our local communities. It is especially important to shine a light on the adults in our midst such as volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMTs so that young people in school can aspire to pursue such examples of service."