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5K fun lights up village streets
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Vol. 36 No. 47
NoV. 20 - 26, 2025
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Play 4 Mary basketball event raises funds, hope By AlYSSA R. GRIFFIN agriffin@liherald.com
Courtesy Pat McGuire
long Island champions
South Side High School’s girls’ volleyball team captured the Long Island Class A title Nov. 12 with a five-set victory over Half Hollow Hills West. Story, additional photos, page 6.
The gym at St. Agnes Cathedral School pulsed with energy and emotion last weekend — a swirl of gold ribbons, bouncing basketballs and young athletes playing with a purpose far bigger than the score. With every basket and every cheer, the community honored a girl they’ve never forgotten — the late Mary Ruchalski, who died of rhabdomyosarcoma when she was 12— raising $5,000 for the Mary Ruchalski Foundation at the school’s third annual Play 4 Mary event. From Friday evening through Sunday, dozens of CYO basketball players on the school’s Stags teams dedicated their home games to the foundation, which supports pediatric cancer research and families of Continued on page 24
PBA drive brings food and toys to needy families By AlYSSA R. GRIFFIN agriffin@liherald.com
On a crisp morning in Rockville Centre, a steady stream of cars rolled into the village police headquarters parking lot — not in response to an emergency, but to answer a call from their neighbors. The Rockville Centre Police Benevolent Association hosted its third annual Drive-Up Food Drive last Saturday, and this year the tradition included a heartfelt twist: a toy drive was added to help bring holiday comfort to families served by the Hispanic Brotherhood Food Pantry, on Maple Avenue.
The PBA collected beans, canned goods, juice, pasta, rice, tomato sauce, tuna, vegetable oil and unwrapped toys outside police headquarters on Maple Avenue. Donors drove through and handed their contributions to volunteers — many of them off-duty village police officers who spent their day lending a hand to help residents in need. In previous years, roughly 200 cars have pulled up and dropped off donations, and organizers said this year’s turnout was similar. The PBA promoted the event heavily on social media and throughout the village. It was held the same day as the village’s annu-
al 5K and Family Fun Run, a strategic choice to capture the attention of residents and visitors passing the station. “We wanted to do a toy drive for a while, and we really didn’t know the best way to make sure the Rockville Centre community gets that benefit,” PBA President Mike Rollo said. “The 5K runs right by our police station. We get as much exposure as possible and help people during the holiday season beyond food, which is kind of our goal.” This marks the second year of the PBA’s partnership with the Hispanic Brotherhood, and the organization’s executive director, Marguerite Keller,
attended last weekend’s event. Rollo first reached out to her two years ago, she said, at a time when the food pantry shelves were nearly bare heading into the holidays. “We’re part of the community — we’ve always been a part of the community,” Keller said. “For the community to give back to us in the form of food
that we can then turn around and give to those in need, it’s just huge.” Village officials also showed their support. Mayor Francis X. Murray joined members of the village board to thank the volunteers and donors. “They’re volunteering to collect food for the needy of RockContinued on page 23