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By Joanna DelBuono
Brooklyn Daily
Bensonhurst
Kristen Walsh’s local fame is spreading like wildfire, after the Bishop Kearney High School junior was announced 2012 state winner of the Great American Smokeout Print Advertisement contest, coordinated by ENT and Allergy Associates and the American Cancer Society.
Kristen’s anti-smoking print advertisement entitled, “Your Life is Running Out,” portrayed a dying battery with the caption, “Each cigarette burns away 11 minutes of your life,” and ending with the valuable reminder, “You can’t recharge that.”
The budding artist received a check for $2,000 — $1,000 for herself and $1,000 for her school — presented at a school assembly on March 11.
Standing O joins Kearney principal Sister Thomasine Stagnitta in wishing art-smart Kristen many congrats on her winning work — no ifs, ands, or butts about it!
Bishop Kearney High School [2202 60th St. between Bay Parkway and Bay 23rd Avenue in Bensonhurst, (718) 236–6363].
Park Slope
Moody Mega Math wizes
Standing O adds a score of well-wishes to a brainy quintet from Saint Saviour High School for participating in the 2013 Moody’s Mega Math Challenge.
Imani Greeves, Chelsea Miller, Jessica Hall, Melina Roberts, and Kerri Gill were among nearly 6,000 high school students from 29 states who put their thinking caps on to solve a “relevant and ambitious applied math problem.” The M3 Challenge spotlighted applied mathematics and computational science as powerful problem-solving tools, in addition to being practical courses of study and meaningful professions, alerting one and all to that little-known fact embraced by mathematicians: the science of addition, subtraction — and more — can be useful and fun.
Saint Savior High School [701 Eighth Ave. at Seventh Street in Park Slope, (718) 768–8000].
Sheepshead Bay
Library laptops thanks to pol
Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D–Southern Brooklyn) gets a cyber-rific Standing O for funding laptop computers and other cool stuff for the Kings Bay and Kings Highway branches of the Brooklyn Public Library — a boon she celebrated by launching a laptop loan program at the Kings Bay branch on March 8.
The laptops will provide access to the Internet, the repository’s databases, and a catalogue of downloadable ebooks. The bonus? Patrons can borrow them for up to two hours to use anywhere in the branch.
It was a gift worth giving, according to the assemblywoman.
“In today’s world, access to state of the art technology can determine one’s success,” she said. “Whether you’re a student using the internet as a research aid, or a senior citizen wanting to know your rights, this program will have a positive impact on all library patrons.”
The portables come as a relief to the cash-strapped library system, which has loaned computers to its branches for more than a year.
“We are so fortunate to have engaged elected officials who support our efforts to provide more digital access to our patrons,” said Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library. “Digital access is key to how the library is moving forward and adapting to the needs of our patrons.”
Park Slope
Lovin’ bank
TD Bank celebrated Valentine’s Day with a charitable activity that was heartwarming — and foot-warming!
Workers in the commercial lending department of “America’s Most Convenient Bank” led a February sock drive that collected 500 pairs of cozy toe-warmers for CAMBA’s Brooklyn shelters, inspiring their peers at other TD branches to do the same. By the end of the month TD employees had amassed more than 1,300 pairs of socks to keep more than 2,600 feet warm and dry.
The good Samaritans earned themselves great karma and a tall Standing O when they distributed the new tube and crew socks to CAMBA’s Park Slope Women’s Shelter on March 13, jam-packing the haul in their TD Bank WOW! van.
It was a humble idea that spiraled into a major campaign after some employees volunteered at an event for shelter residents that included gifts of hats and gloves, according to TD retail market manager Renee Altomonte.
“One person thanked us, but then turned back and said, ‘You know, the hats and gloves are great, but what we can really use are socks,’ ” she said. “At TD Bank, it’s important to us to give back to the community, so this was a perfect way for our employees to work together to help those in need.”
The recipient group appreciated the show of love.
“CAMBA and the people we serve are thrilled with this very generous donation by TD Bank’s employees,” said Joanne M. Oplustil, CAMBA’s president and CEO. “Socks are much more than thoughtful gift for our shelter residents, they ensure proper attire and warmth, which in turn promotes good health.”
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