Way to go: Glen Head senior Heather Magnuson

Heather Magnuson, a senior at North Shore High School in Glen Head, recently raised $618 through a four-day bake sale that benefited the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Magnuson, who recruited a group of 10 friends, baked hundreds of brownies, cookies and cupcakes at her house in late November and sold them at a table in the school cafeteria.

Items sold for 50 cents or $1.

"I've always been big into community service," said Magnuson, 17, who got the fundraiser idea through her current internship at an orthopedic surgeon's office in Garden City.

"More money is needed to keep researching the disease, because it doesn't have a cure right now. It's one of those diseases that keeps spreading and hurts many lives, but it's still not very well known."

At North Shore, Magnuson is an AIDS peer educator, a youth peer leader, and a member of the Gay Straight Alliance, Environmental Club and National and Science honor societies.

She is also secretary of the Interact Club, a student-run community service group.

"When you are healthy, you have a lot," Magnuson said. "It feels amazing to help others that are less fortunate."