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HERALD BEACON
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MAY 23 - 29, 2024
The spotlight is on special competitors By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com
Courtesy Uniondale Union Free School District
Keturah Lee, Monique Darrisaw-Akil and Roderick Peele were selected to visit the White House as part of an initiative to support Black educators.
White House honors teachers Keturah Lee, Roderick Peele By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com
Two Uniondale Union Free School District teachers had a unique experience in Washington on May 2. Black educators Keturah Lee and Roderick Peele, from California Avenue School and Norther n Parkway Elementary School, respectively, were spotlighted during an event at the White House, part of its Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Ameri-
cans. The event spotlighted about 60 educators from across the nation. “It shows our standing in the educational community, but more importantly, it gave us an opportunity to honor some amazing everyday heroes,” Uniondale superintendent Monique Darrisaw-Akil said. “They are two examples of the type of amazing educators we have all throughout our district.” Peele, a fifth-grade teacher, works with a mixed class of general-education students ContinueD on PAge 4
More than 1,100 athletes from across New York state will compete in a variety of events when the 38th annual Nassau County Games for the Physically Challenged gets underway at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex, in Uniondale, and at nearby Nassau Community College, in Garden City, May 31 and June 1. The festivities kicked off on May 10, led by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, alongside student-athletes from the Henry Viscardi Center, a nonprofit in Albertson that aims to educate, employ and empower children, adults and veterans with disabilities or special needs. “We are always honored to host the press conference for the Nassau County Games for the Physically Challenged,” Chris Rosa, president and chief executive of the Viscardi Center, said in a release. “The Games are a celebration of inclusive, adapted sports that have become a tradition for Viscardi athletes to participate in. The sporting events are enjoyed by the Henry Viscardi School students and their families each year, and become some of their most treasured school memories.”
In 1984, Long Island hosted the International Games for the Disabled, now the Paralympics. That event inspired the State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation to create a program for physically challenged youth to engage in athletic competition. The inaugural games, in 1985, attracted 240 athletes. The number has since grown to nearly 1,600 statewide, taking part in two annual regional competitions. The games provide a platform for athletes ages 5 to 21 with a range of physical challenges, including blindness and visual impairment, deafness and hearing impairment, spinal cord injuries, amputations, cerebral palsy, dwarfism and other disabilities. The competitive events include track and field, archery, swimming, wheelchair basketball and table tennis. The games’ longevity is a testament to the community’s support, especially following the elimination of state funding in 2010. The county executive’s office, supported by private companies, has ensured the event’s continuity. “Each year, I’m truly inspired by the remarkable athletes who compete in the Nassau County ContinueD on PAge 7