Pat-Med High School’s Operation S.O.S. Brings Kids, Community Together to Aid the Troops During the Holidays

Patchogue-Medford High School Participation in Government teacher Rita-Marie Murphy had no idea what would happen after she posed an important question to seniors in her class: What does it mean to be an American? “It was right around the time of the anniversary of September 11th,” Ms. Murphy explained. “The issue of what it means to be an American was the focus of discussions taking place in so many classrooms.” Patchogue-Medford High School Seniors took the question asked by their teacher seriously, and the rest, is history. All three Participation in Government classes knew they needed to perform a group community service, and the issue of “being an American” provided a springboard for a project that was brainstormed, planned and promoted solely by students. Hence, the birth of Operation S.O.S. (Support Our Soldiers). “The project really took off, and turned into a mini-internship,” said Ms. Murphy. In addition to creating the idea for Operation S.O.S., students worked on marketing their project to get support from all angles. They researched and solicited donations from various corporations, and created a PowerPoint presentation about the need to support United States military men and women, which was shared in every classroom in the district to encourage teachers and students to join the fundraising efforts. Senior Kaleigha Evans took the initiative to design an “Operation S.O.S.” t-shirt, which was printed at a discount by C.Y.A. Printing, located on the corner of Main Street and Washington Avenue. Students proudly wore the camouflage-themed shirts as they reached out to the community for support when they hosted a proceeds night fundraiser at Wendy’s in Medford, to raise money to purchase supplies for the American soldiers stationed in Iraq.

The group’s dedication didn’t stop there. In addition to the hands-on, proactive experience they received as a result of this project, they spent many hours with George Egan and Michael Amodio. These members of the local VFW Post 2913, visited students in their classrooms, shared their past experiences as veterans of foreign war, and provided students with lessons not found in history texts. “We learned a lot more than you can get out of a book,” stated student Kaleigha Evans. “Speaking to the members of the VFW gave us a lot of firsthand information.” The students also involved the members of Post 2913 in their project, who graciously agreed to store all the goods that students collected at VFW facility, and to incur the cost of shipping the items to Iraq. “What these young people have done is absolutely outstanding,” stated Mr. Egan. “All it takes is an idea, and the kids put it in motion. We are proud to be involved in their efforts.”

To honor the work of Ms. Murphy’s Participation in Government classes, the Patchogue-Medford Board of Education invited the group to their November 20th meeting, where they were publicly recognized for everything they have done. “In our class, students learn about their civil liberties,” Ms. Murphy stated as she addressed the Board. “By organizing and implementing this community service project, not only did students learned through hands-on experience how they may fulfill their role as citizens, but they also had the opportunity to thank our soldiers for protecting the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.”

Ms. Murphy’s Participation in Government classes have documented their project from start to finish, and will send copies to the United States service men and women, along with the items they were able to purchase for the soldiers as a result of Operation S.O.S.

SOS PMHS Contact: Rita-Marie Murphy - (631) 687-6500

Patchogue-Medford Seniors in Rita-Marie Murphy’s Participation in Government classes created a community service project dubbed “Operation S.O.S.” to support soldiers stationed in Iraq. In this photo, the students are at Wendy’s Restaurant on Route 112 in Medford, where a percentage of the evening’s proceeds went towards the group’s fundraising efforts.

VFW Post 2913 members George Egan (3rd from left), and Mike Amodio (4th from left), supported Patchogue-Medford Seniors during Operation S.O.S. by storing and shipping the items they collected for United States soldiers stationed in Iraq.

Patchogue-Medford Superintendent of Schools Michael Mostow took time out to compliment Participation in Government students on “Operation S.O.S.” and to congratulate them for a job well done.
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Photos by Virginia Riccardi, Syntax Communication