Bayport-Blue Point High School Celebrates 'P.S. I Love You' Day

BAYPORT, NY — Students and staff throughout the Bayport-Blue Point High School participated in P.S. I Love You Day on Friday to spread the importance of mental health awareness.

Under the direction of adviser Nikki Restivo, the school's Interact Club hosted P.S. I Love You Day, to stand up against bullying, help those suffering from depression, and to prevent suicide.

P.S. I Love You Day is held on Long Island every second Friday of February. The awareness campaign was developed by Brooke DiPalma of West Islip in honor of her deceased father, a retired New York Police Department officer, who took his own life when she was 14 years old.

His last words to Brooke were, “I love you.”

DiPalma turned the tragic death of her father into an inspiring day known as P.S. I Love You Day. Since then, idea has spread, and is celebrated in other school districts and states.

Interact Club members decorated and placed inspirational signs around the high school and handed out purple necklaces to the student body, which was encouraged to wear purple as a symbol of their participation. The club also organized kindness grams, filled out by students and then distributed during homeroom to make others feel special. A special playlist of uplifting music was also created by the club and played as students changed classes.

Restivo said she was happy with the number of students who participated.

“We want students to know that someone is always there for them,” Restivo said.