Holy Cross Students Cook Up Smiles At St. Mary’s

Mohammed Uddin takes a break from the festivities with Holy Cross H.S. Student Council members Walter Randolph, Class of 2005, StevenZaccone ’06 and James Murphy ’05, during the barbecue that was hosted at St.Mary’s Hospital in Bayside.

On June 25, Student Council members from Holy Cross, St. Agnes, The Mary Louis Academy and St. Francis Prep high schools pooled their talent and resources to host a barbecue for children at St. Mary’s Hospital in Bayside. While students entertained the young patients and their caregivers with music and dance, their advisers assisted in serving hot dogs, hamburgers and snacks donated by Holy Cross alumni. This group of students, officially known as CAMPSO, was formed in 2002 to collaborate on service projects that benefit the community at large. In the past they have sponsored carnivals at St. Mary’s Hospital and talent shows that raise proceeds for each school’s Scholarship Fund.

DJ Eric Howard, a junior at Holy Cross, spun the latest tracks and Conor McGuirk accompanied Irish step dancer Kate Cox from St. Agnes on the accordion.

Michael Genovese, director of the Service Learning Program at Holy Cross for more than 30 years, noted that the students’ commitment to St. Mary’s Hospital continued long after the young men graduated. “Our mission is to instill a service ethic that lasts a lifetime.”

Jonathan Price, Holy Cross Class of 2002, mesmerized the audience with his card and magic tricks.

Amanda Mandaglio development coordinator for St. Mary’s Foundation for Children oversaw the festivities. “Community involvement is an integral part of the mission of St. Mary’s and the well being of its patients,” she said. “Many of our children are economically and socially disadvantaged, so we rely on service organizations like CAMPSO and the commitment of seniors in the Holy Cross Service Program to provide activities that help enable us to offer a quality of life that otherwise might not be available.”

Genovese was already contemplating next semester’s activities and the seniors who would be participating in community service projects in and around the borough. “It really never ends,” he said. “As long as the community has unmet needs, we’ll be there to fill them.”

Holy Cross H.S., founded by the Brothers of Holy Cross in 1955, is celebrating its 50th anniversary as the first Catholic high school for boys in Queens.