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HERALD Sharing unique leadership ideas
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Vol. 27 No. 6
FEBRUARY 1 - 7, 2024
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A colorful act of kindness
Looking to low
amos Español
Meet your 2024 Regeneron scholars By JoRDAN VAlloNE
jvallone@liherald.com
Courtesy Barbi Frank
Cole Wasserman and Claire Schwartz were named semifinalists in the 2024 Society for Science & Public Science Talent Search competition, sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Regeneron.
Two students at John F. Kennedy High School, in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, were named semifinalists in the 2024 Society for Science & Public Science Talent Search competition, sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Regeneron. The talent search is among the most prestigious science competitions for high school students in the United States. Claire Schwartz and Cole Wasserman both dedicated hundreds of hours to their projects while enrolled in Kennedy’s Advanced Science Research program, or ASR, ConTinued on Page 10
At January’s Ruby Red Ball, PFY raises awareness and spirits By RACHElE TERRANoVA rterranova@liherald.com
PFY, the organization previously known as Pride for Youth, hosted its annual Ruby Red Ball in Bellmore on Jan. 20. In addition to drag the performances and competition, the event focused on raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, and attendees were able to get free rapid tests. PFY has been headquartered in Bellmore since 1993. Once an organization for LGBTQ youth, it has been able to expand the reach of its services thanks to a grant from the Paul Rapoport Foundation, and now provides
lifelong assistance to anyone who identifies as LGBTQ on Long Island and in Queens. The organization is a division of the Long Island Crisis Center. HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, damages the immune system, increasing vulnerability to disease and infection. When left untreated, it renders the body unable to fight off infections, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. During the 1980s AIDS crisis, the disease swept across the nation, at a time when the medical community’s understanding of it was limited. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has much greater knowledge of how the disease spreads, and how to prevent it. Those who contract HIV can now live long lives if they are properly treated. Though there is no cure, many people who have HIV never develop AIDS. Medicines for the virus can reduce and in some cases even stop the spread of the virus. Organizations like PFY work to ensure that people get tested and can find treatment. At its offices on Bellmore Ave in Bellmore and in Deer Park, in Suffolk County, PFY provides free t e s t i n g f o r H I V M o n d ay through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments are avail-
able outside of walk-in hours. “Primarily, we are funded through the AIDS Institute,” Tawni Engel, associate director of the Long Island Crisis Center, previously told the Herald, referring to the agency of the state Department of Health. “Year-round, we’ re always doing HIV testing and prevention. “A lot of our programs, actu-
ally, are focused around educating the community on these things,” Engel added, “because, statistically, we do see a lot of members of the LGBTQ community at risk for HIV.” “We really try to meet the mental health and sexual health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals from a wider scope, and really try to decrease the ConTinued on Page 14