Seaford student spearheads crayon collection

A Seaford High School sophomore who is a Young Ambassador of the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation recently spearheaded a crayon collection as part of a larger effort to benefit children in hospitals nationwide.

Sarah Keane, 15, helped collect about 2,000 used and broken crayons that the nonprofit Crayon Initiative will have melted down and turned into new crayons for the hospitalized children. The effort started after the Young Ambassadors program called on its new class of 15 members to gather the crayons.

"It shows that Seaford is a very giving place," said Keane, who joined the program in December. "This is a small act that can make a big impact in a child’s life."

The Young Ambassadors program is an initiative of the nonprofit foundation created by New York Rangers goaltender Lundqvist and his wife, Therese. Through fundraising efforts and community outreach, the group aims to help people with education and health services.

Keane said she learned of the program when she participated in the RangersTown 5K last year. She hung flyers in her school to promote the cause and placed collection bins in the main office and art classrooms.

She is vice president of her school's Science Club and Science Olympiad team, a member of the Key Club and Best Buddies Club, and a member of the varsity cross-country team and varsity winter and spring track teams.

In addition, Keane is a volunteer instructor with the Shooting Stars track club for special needs children based at Wellington C. Mepham High School, in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, and volunteers at children's gym Sensory Beans in Wantagh. 

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.