Students from the Henry Viscardi School Enjoy Holiday Event

In the holiday spirit of giving, the New York Islanders, in partnership with Nationwide Mortgage Bankers, welcomed over 50 students and families from the Henry Viscardi School to socialize, celebrate and watch hockey on Wednesday night.

The children received holiday gift bags – containing an Islanders scarf, a Bluetooth speaker, a pennant and more – while enjoying dinner together before they watched the Islanders take on the Anaheim Ducks at UBS Arena. Sparky the Dragon made a splash, adding some extra holiday cheer.

“Food was here for us when we got here and Sparky came,” said Adriana Navarro, an eighth-grade student at Viscardi. “We got to take some pictures with him get autographs and we are just hung out before we watched the game, it was a lot of fun.”

Another special guest was Darius Kasparaitis, as the former Islanders defenseman (from 1992 to 1997) joined the dinner portion of the event and greeted the families and students, sharing some smiles and laughs.

“Seeing kids, especially with special needs, it's important to make them feel welcome,” Kasparaitis said. “They’re part of our community and it’s important to bring them to the game and celebrate holidays together.”

Kim Brussell, Senior Vice President Marketing and Public Affairs at the Viscardi Center, spoke to the 40+ year partnership with the Islanders and how the organization provides the students an avenue to enjoy themselves.  

“UBS Arena is a model for accessibility,” Brussell said. “It really gives our students the opportunity to have social interaction with not only their friends and their classmates at the Henry Viscardi School, but also some quality family time.”

The Henry Viscardi School at the Viscardi Center is a school for children with severe physical disability who are also medically fragile. The regional school brings in students from Long Island as well as the five boroughs. Special gatherings like Wednesday night brought everyone together during the holiday season. Navarro expressed her excitement to watch the game with her friends.

"This event is amazing," Navarro said. “It feels good to get this type of like recognition because it makes us feel seen, and it's a lot of fun."