Sachem North Festival of Trees and Lights a Success

Students, faculty, and local residents filled Sachem North over the weekend for what marked the third annual Festival of Trees and Lights Craft Fair. Sponsored by the Sachem North Fathers Club, the two-day event was stocked with live entertainment, raffle drawings, and rows of local vendors that brought the community together in the spirit of the holidays.

According to Sachem North assistant principal Jose Cruz, the benefits of the annual festival are designed to reach far beyond the walls of the high school.

“The goal for this event is to support not only the district, but charities that each organization in the school has taken on,” he noted. “Everything you see here is about giving, giving, giving.”

The weekend was filled with a range of incredible student performances, such as junior Debbie Santiago’s renditions of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Where Are You Christmas?” that left awestruck shoppers speechless. Other forms of entertainment included visits from Santa Claus, various games, and photo stands that gave attendees the opportunity to pose as a snowman, snowwoman, or the Clauses themselves.

From handmade wooden flutes to homemade jams and preserves, each vendor had something unique to offer for the holiday season. Local residents and cousins Lesley Lantigua and Karina Garcia displayed their crafts, going a step further to offer festive manicures. Groups such as the Sachem Robotic Team offered shoppers handmade ornaments, many with the option to personalize as either a gift or for buyers themselves. 

Among the many raffles held over the weekend, the Sachem North Drama Club gave shoppers a chance to win New York Rangers tickets. The organization noted that all proceeds would go towards the American Heart Association, displaying a sign that appropriately read, “Well, in Whoville they say—that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.”

The event’s concession stand was coordinated by the Sachem North Buddies Club, which provided attendees with everything from pizza to baked goods. The group’s president, Sonia Moran, noted that each member stepped up and contributed something homemade for the occasion.

Sachem North’s Amanda Cereola was one of many to represent the high school’s faculty. The art teacher showcased her work in an impressive display of digital prints and paintings, all available for purchase throughout the weekend.

Among its many other implications, the two-day event marked the culmination of the Sachem North Toy Drive. With just seven toys at the onset of their efforts, senior Jennifer Hohorst and alum Clarianna Buratti spent the weekend wrapping up the mountain of toys donated by community residents—and still have approximately $1,800 in funds to spend.

The festival is made possible every year through the involvement of the Sachem community, whose support benefits student groups, scholarships for graduating seniors, and charities such as the Sachem North Food Pantry, Cleary School for the Deaf and the Stony Brook Blood Bank.

Cruz revealed that among the influx of donations over the weekend came one memorable donor, whose generosity sums up the kind of holiday spirit that the festival is meant to bring out each year.

“This person handed us a $1,000 check to go towards toys for the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital,” Cruz commented. “It’s amazing to watch things like this happen right in our community, and it’s what this event is really all about.”