Riverhead Students Participate in ALS Ride For Life

Chris Pendergast, along with his wife, Christine Pendergast, once again he participated in this year’s 18th Annual Ride For Life.

Joining the Pendergasts in the ride this year was Dr. Frank Verdone, who has also contracted ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the Yankees first baseman, which is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder during which victims slowly lose control of their muscles, speech and, eventually, breathing.

Riverhead High School Student government and class officers joined the students from Mercy High School in the annual Ride for Life to “wipe out ALS”.

Together they marched together from Riverhead High School to Town Hall.

Riverhead High School students contributed $250 they raised from those in the community who sponsored their participation in the ride.

Holding posters and banners and waving pendants, the students lined the circle in front of the Phillips Avenue Elementary School to witness the dousing of the twenty-six local teachers who volunteered for the ice bucket challenge (with a minimum contribution of $25).

Later in a short ceremony the students greeted Pendergast and Frank Verbone as they rolled through the loop in front of the school.

Phillips Avenue Assistant Principal Alison Conroy presented Pendergast with the jar holding the school’s over $2,000 donation to help fight ALS.

In addition to donations from the teachers, staff, administrators and community members, the Phillips Avenue students gave up their ice cream money for the week to donate to ALS as well.

Photo #1: Meghan Scully’s class raised over $100 and she is pictured taking the Ice Bucket Challenge. CAP social worker Shannon Kutner poured.

Photo #2: Chris and Christine Pendergast greet the Phillips Avenue Elementary students.

Photo #3: Phillips Avenue Assistant Principal Alison Conroy presents Mr. Pendergast with over $2,000.

Photo #4: RHS students join the ALS Ride for Life march to the Riverhead Town Hall.

Photos courtesy of Riverhead Central School District

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