Leah Kuczinski remembered at vigil at her high school

Under a bright moon at a school athletic field, the New Hyde Park community released dozens of white balloons Wednesday night to honor fallen student Leah Kuczinski — only sobs breaking the silence.

Hundreds gathered at a vigil for the 16-year-old New Hyde Park Memorial High School sophomore who died Sunday, a few days after a go-kart accident during a winter break trip in Florida.

At the urging of friends, pop singer Hailee Steinfeld — Kuczinski’s favorite performer — made a surprise appearance, singing her hit “Starving.”

A Spanish teacher at the school on Wednesday had tweeted a vigil invite to the singer, saying that Kuczinski had planned to go to one of her concerts in July.

“It was really amazing,” sophomore Vanessa Tewes, a friend of Kuczinski, said of the vigil. “For a while, it was hard to believe she was gone, but this has put me at peace. I’m so impressed with the way so many people have come together.”

All night, memorials in the form of notes, flowers, candles and balloons grew under the school’s lighted sign.

Kuczinski, a cheerleader and junior varsity field hockey captain, seemed to have a bright smile on her face all the time, one that made people who were sick, angry or sad smile right back, those who knew her said.

On the athletic field, Principal Richard Faccio pointed to the blown-up photos of Kuczinski displayed on railings in the stands.

In each portrait, he noted, she was smiling: “That’s the way she portrayed herself throughout life.”

Kuczinski, who turned 16 on Feb. 6, was to return to New Hyde Park for a Sweet 16 party at the local firehouse. Instead, her funeral Mass will be offered Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Church of the Holy Spirit in the village.

A report from the Palm Beach County sheriff’s office said Kuczinski was driving a go-kart at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter when the crash happened shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday.

Details of the accident have not been made available by the sheriff’s office.

Repeated calls made to Palm Beach Karting, which is a tenant at the raceway, were not immediately returned.

Louis Partenza, president and CEO of the West Palm Beach-based IRG Sports and Entertainment, which he described as the parent company of the raceway, expressed his condolences.

“Words can’t express the sadness everyone here feels,” he said.

Partenza said any questions about the accident should be addressed to Palm Beach Karting, which he said is also known as OTK Kart USA. He said the raceway will cooperate with the sheriff’s office in the investigation.

Donations to a GoFundMe page created Monday on Facebook to help the family with the funeral and other expenses continued to build Wednesday. A goal of $15,000 had been set, but by about 10 p.m. Wednesday, more than $88,000 had been contributed by a total of more than 1,000 people.

As another tribute to Kuczinski, family members said the Leah Kuczinski Legacy Foundation would be established this week and would be dedicated to good deeds in her honor.

Mourners urged the crowd to follow Kuczinski’s lead to never say an unkind word, and to support one another.

Said one speaker at the vigil: “She made every second here on Earth count.”