Way to Go! Smithtown student raises funds for veterans

A Smithtown High School East student recently spearheaded a military awareness campaign that has raised thousands of dollars for troops and their families.

Anthony Spiezio, a senior, designed a T-shirt — which is red with the slogan "Remember Everyone Deployed" — that is being sold as part of an initiative to raise awareness about veterans by encouraging people to wear red every Friday. He has raised roughly $4,000 so far through T-shirt sales and donations for the Green Beret Foundation, which provides support for U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers and their families.

Spiezio launched the initiative through his school's DECA Chapter, of which he is president. The T-shirts, more than 300 of which he has sold so far, are available through the online retail company Custom Ink.

"After talking to the assistant principals, they spread it around the district and it kind of just blew up," Spiezio said of the T-shirt sales. "The entire community has supported it 100%."

Spiezio, 17, is also vice president of his school's Leadership Class and Athletes Helping Athletes Club and is a member of the school improvement team, varsity swim and dive team, and the National, Business and Spanish honor societies. He has also participated in American Legion Boys State, a program that teaches government structure.

Outside of school, Spiezio is a senior church cantor, a lifeguard and water safety instructor for Blue Ocean Aquatics, and a soccer referee for the Long Island Soccer Referee Association.

— MICHAEL R. EBERT

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.