Community Corner
Rainbow of Hope 'Looms Large' for Local Patients
Port Jefferson fourth- and fifth-grade students banded together for Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 21 during an after-school bracelet-making event. More than 70 children turned the popular rainbow loom bracelet hobby into a reason for local breast cancer patients to smile.
Edna Louise Spear Elementary School teachers Deanna Lilimpakis and Kristen Poulos organized the event, which turned out to be even better than expected, they said. Trays of pink and white rubber loom bands lined cafeteria tables where the children eagerly gathered around to make bracelets to be donated to breast cancer patients at Stony Brook University Hospital, Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
“We wanted to take the popularity of the loom bracelets with students and use it to do something special,” said Lilimpakis. “Kristen and I knew that the kids would have a great time together, especially if they knew they were looming for a good cause, and we were right.” The students donated more than 125 bracelets.