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Health & Fitness

Oakside Students Join Forces with PHS Interact Club

When Oakside teacher Lynda Delmonaco received an email from George Goess¸ one of the co-advisors of Peekskill High School’s Interact Club, asking for help in collecting donations for the club’s “Fluff the Pups” event, Delmonaco was happy to volunteer and eagerly involved her third grade students in the effort as well.

Each school year, the PHS Interact Club, which is a club devoted to doing volunteer work in Peekskill and neighboring communities, selects a charity organization to work alongside. Most recently, the club has teamed up with the Briarcliff SPCA to collect soft materials that will bring comfort to shelter animals. In an effort to support their cause, Delmonaco’s class has spent the past month filling numerous bins with blankets, bath towels and tablecloths. The one class alone has gathered over 30 items  which will be added to the other donations currently being collected across the District.

“When I read the email from Mr. Goess, I knew this was something we could get involved in,” Delmonaco said. “I shared stories of my pet, who is a rescue dog, with my students and asked them if they would like to help Mr. Goess with the project. My dog has callused areas from where he had to sleep on concrete, so this was something that mattered to me and it mattered to the children. They got behind the cause 100 percent and that makes me feel very proud of them. I’m happy that this has given them the opportunity to give back to the community.”

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The children in Delmonaco’s class are also happy to be helping out a good cause and many say that they will continue to bring in fabrics until the collection completes on March 7.

“I’m happy we get to help the animals so they don’t get bruises on their elbows,” said nine year old Oakside student, Torrance Gilleo.

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If you have soft materials to donate to the Interact Club’s “Fluff the Pups” event, you may bring your donations to one of several collection boxes which are located in the main offices of Peekskill City School District buildings.

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