Community Stars of the Week: Teen Project

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As common as it is to see the New York Islanders delivering toys to kids in hospitals, they're not the only athletes on Long Island who are doing so.
Meet Matt and Steven Spirakis, the founders of Teen Project and former football players at Garden City High School. They've been active members of the community for over a decade, but made their mark by fundraising for gift cards for teens in hospitals. To date, they've raised about $55K for gift donations over six years, which are donated to Cancer Center for Kids (CCFK) and the Child Life Program.

"The teens don't really get the appropriate gifts for them," Matt said. "My brother and I thought it would be cool start Teen Project, so we went around to family and friends collecting gift cards… Six years ago we started it and we've been doing it every year."
The brothers' story starts with volunteering at a hospital Swim-A-Thon as young kids, getting their friends and teammates to participate in the fundraiser, collecting donations and selling raffle tickets for the Child Life Program.

As they got older, they wanted to do something specifically for the teens who were in the hospital, noting that a bulk of the toy donations were geared towards younger patients. Instead of stuffed animals, they wanted to give things like iTunes, Amazon or even CVS gift cards, things teens can use to get what they want. This past year they raised $15K, which gets distributed to patients throughout the year.
"They just have a myriad of different gifts ready so they can just choose what they want," Beth Spirakis, Matt and Steven's mother, said. "We have all these different displays, even stuff like Sephora, just something to make them feel good and get their minds off why they're in the hospital during the holidays."
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The movement has taken on a life of its own. Their friends Luke and TJ Schmitt, of Charlie's Champions Foundation, joined forces about four years ago to help fundraise and solicit more donations. The Garden City High School football and wrestling teams have gotten involved, as have various honors clubs and miracle societies at the town's high school and middle school. Steven Spirakis is a kicker for the University of Rochester football team and got the team involved with local hospitals in Western New York. The Spirakis family has been blown away at how the community has embraced their cause.
"It's a great thing and it grows on people," Matt said. "You just see how we can do amazing things and never give up because the obstacles the kids in the hospital are facing are more severe and people don't realize it. It's hard for those kids. We're doing a great thing and it grows on people."
The boys charitable streak was inherited from their parents, but Matt said a personal experience also moved him to get involved.
"I was in the hospital one time and someone gave me a gift, so I felt like I can do better and help people out more," he said.

It's about more than just giving money and gifts to the teens, it's offering support and letting them know someone cares about them during a tough time. They encourage kids to include letters, notes or pictures with their gift cards, adding a personal touch.
"Some kids shared stories if they were hospitalized, or something they went through, or something as sweet as 'have a great day' or 'thinking of you,'" Beth said.
While events like the hospital's Swim-A-Thon have been cancelled due to COVID-19, the brothers are planning to continue the fundraisers this holiday season. The sense of community service runs deep in Matt and Steven and the Spirakis family as a whole.
"It makes you feel good," Beth said. "I'm proud that they want to continue to do it. It's something they look forward to doing every year."
Nominated by Islanders Alumnus Steve Webb's Team Up 4 Community Program www.TeamUp4Community.org