William Floyd to hold alumni awards ceremony

The William Floyd school district’s third annual set of Distinguished Alumni Awards will go to a St. John’s University basketball coach, a state senator, an opera singer, a surgeon and a longtime teacher in the district.

The awards are given “to inspire current students, and to honor and reconnect with alumni who have made significant contributions to society,” district spokesman James Montalto said in a statement.

The honorees are Kim Barnes Arico (Class of 1988) who has led the St. John’s women’s basketball team to more than 150 wins in the past nine seasons; State Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) (Class of 1988), who was was elected to the office last year; Maria D’Amato (Class of 1997), who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera; Jeffrey Chan (Class of 1984), director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center; and Nicholas Cassone (Class of 1962), who was a teacher and administrator in the district for 27 years.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for April 29 at Mediterranean Manor in Patchogue. Tickets cost $60, with proceeds benefting the William Floyd Alumni Association.

Information is available on the William Floyd school district's website or 631-874-1567.