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Community Corner

Make-a-Wish Children Celebrate Halloween at Hauppauge High

Hauppauge's DECA club members host Suffolk County Make-a-Wish children on the eve of Halloween.

About two dozen Make-a-Wish children and their families arrived at the Hauppauge DECA club's Halloween party Saturday night, where Make-a-Wish volunteers were on hand to welcome the witches, Transformers, sock hop girl, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, firefighter and more.

For over a decade, the club has hosted this annual party at Hauppauge High School for Make-a-Wish children from all over Suffolk County.

Faculty advisor Frank Hufnagel said the club members try to buddy up with the children so the kids are not hesitant to try out the different activities.

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"I had fun doing different things," said Johnny Giannotti, age 6.

DECA vice-president Jenna Williamson loved seeing the kids getting all excited about the different activities.

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"It's just priceless," she said.

The party included a football throw, pitching games, coloring, pumpkin decorating and more. A DJ was on hand, and the teenagers led their new little friends to the center of the floor to show off their dance moves and do a little limbo. Pizza and beverages were also on hand along with plenty of candy spread out on the tables and given away as prizes for the games.

Both Nonie Kozak and Stacey Antos said they were impressed by the patience and compassion of the DECA members. Antos pointed out the teenagers were great in drawing out the shy kids and getting them involved.

The party started wrapping up around 8:30 p.m. Make-a-Wish families left Hauppauge High School with tired children with bags filled with candy.

Leaving the party, ten-year-old Richard Cotes, who had demonstrated his dance floor moves earlier in the night, said, "It was a fantastic party!"

DECA co-president Tannaz Zafarnia said the club started planning the event in the beginning of the school year. This was her third year helping out with the party and her favorite part, she said, was "just the smiles on the kids' faces."

Make-a-Wish volunteer Margo Rosenman was impressed by the work the high school students put into the event and the fact they were giving up a Saturday night.

"I'm so touched by this because they are teenagers," she said.

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