Syosset Club Kicks off "7 in 7" Campaign

Submitted by Syosset Public Schools.

Members of the Syosset High School Interact Club unveiled its bold new campaign to help save the lives of seven children born with a congenital heart defect. Dubbed the “7 in 7” campaign, the students, under the guidance of advisor Carisa Steinberg, hope to raise $35,000 to cover life-saving surgeries for seven children on seven continents in seven days.

Through its partnership with nonprofit Gift of Life International, Syosset’s Interact Club has raised funds throughout the years to help pay for these surgeries, which cost about $5,000 per operation. This year, however, the 7 in 7 campaign will attempt to carry out these operations in a unique and impactful way.

The club announced its bold intentions at its annual fundraiser kickoff event held in the student lobby at the high school on Nov. 25. The kickoff featured a live conversation via Skype with Gift of Life International’s first-ever heart surgery recipient, Grace Agwaru, who spoke briefly from her location in Uganda.

Photo: Co-Presidents of Syosset High School’s Interact Club, Rachel Settle, Lindsay Grossman and Alexis Shore, received a special recognition from Suzanne Freaney, president of Gift of Life International.