Massapequa Seventh Grader Shares His Heart To Help The World

He’s only in seventh grade, but Ryan Hirschhorn already has a long history of helping others. The student at Berner Middle School in the Massapequa

School District recently hosted an event to raise money for medical aid for Ukraine.

Hearts for Ukraine, a fundraiser and celebration of art, was held at the Long Island Children’s Museum on Jan. 6. In addition to guest speakers, there was a performance by a Ukrainian children’s dance troupe and a viewing of Ryan’s Hearts for Ukraine sculptures. The event raised about $20,000 for Project C.U.R.E., which provides humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including medical equipment and supplies.

RYAN HIRSCHHORN - Berner Middle School

seventh grader Ryan Hirschhorn recently organized a charity event that raised more than $20,000 for Project C.U.R.E. to send military aid to Ukraine. Photo courtesy of the Massapequa School District

Ryan’s artwork was inspired by a paper heart sculpture he made in fourth grade at Birch Lane Elementary School. At the fundraiser, he acknowledged his Magnet program teacher, Kelsey Downey, who assigned that project. After the war in Ukraine began, Ryan created his first Hearts for Ukraine sculpture, a collection of different sized aluminum blue and yellow hearts, representing the country’s colors. That was displayed at Birch Lane for a few weeks at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, and during the summer at