FTK was founded around thirty years ago in 1998, when a group of East Islip parents came together to raise money in support of the school district. At the time, the district lacked sufficient funding for extracurricular activities, including sports, clubs, and other memorable pastimes. FTK was created to help provide students with opportunities and resources, and has fulfilled their mission without fail for the past three decades. Each year, FTK continues to enhance both academic and recreational life for students across East Islip. 

Today, this foundation consists of volunteer parents of children in the East Islip School District who dedicate their time daily for the sole benefit of the community. Cheryl Pepe, the President of this foundation, described the strong relationship that FTK has with the school district and community. 

“We are very supported within the district,” Pepe explained. “Those who know us know how much we do and are very appreciative, and those that don’t know us yet, I think they’ll feel the same way.”

FTK regularly helps fund donations, items, and opportunities that the school budget would typically not cover.

For example, last winter season, the Varsity Basketball team needed a new basketball shooter. This big machine rebounds and passes basketballs to players during practice by shooting basketballs out at them.

FTK donated $8,000 in order for the purchase of this machine, which helps the team excel in their skills and performance. 

In order to fund these donations, the For The Kids Foundation hosts a large fundraiser every March, the FTK Gala. The money raised from this event is used to assist others, just like the basketball shooter. This Gala honors individuals who contribute to the community in a positive way, with this year’s awardees being community advocate School Board Member Chris Zachry and educator advocate Janet Jones, Principal at RCK. Funds are raised throughout this event through business sponsorships, journal advertisements, raffles, and other donated prizes. 

According to Mrs. Pepe, setting up for this yearly Gala is like setting up for a wedding, but being even more involved. Planning for the Gala begins in the summer, continuing until March, when the event occurs. Honorees are confirmed, donations for the raffle baskets, sponsorships, and advertisements are received, seating charts are set up, and all invitations are sent out. Big companies are also notified months in advance that there is going to be a fundraiser, in which donations such as Hawaiian Airlines round trip tickets and professional sports tickets have been donated. Despite the long months of hard work gone into this process, Mrs. Pepe notes how, “it is well worth it in the end.”

The FTK Gala is the foundation’s largest fundraiser and provides much of the funding later used to support activities throughout the district. To request donations, a grant must be filled out by a group or organization, in request of money from FTK. In order for FTK to donate that money, they approach the Board of Education with the request received from the grant. If accepted by the Board, FTK receives a large check which provides the funding that the requested donation held. All items are purchased with the budget from the check received.

The grants are sent out to the different buildings in the beginning of the school year, stating that no dollar amount is too small or too big.

As of late, the French club received a $250 donation from FTK in order to host a student cheese tasting. The French Club bought and learned about four different types of cheese: Brie, Comte, Roquefort, and Fresh Chevre.

Most recently, FTK donated $40,000 dollars to East Islip’s Mock Trial Team to help construct a new courtroom within the high school. Starting as a regular classroom, the new room built for the Mock Trial team creates a space where the team can host and compete in trials.

FTK funded the courtrooms equipment and furnishing, including recent purchases such as vinyl tops the wood surfaces in the room, jury desks, jury boxes and the judge’s bench. The Mock Trial Team looks forward to all of the future successful endeavors accomplished within this space, and the many achievements that they will win. 

Another recent donation that FTK supplemented the district with was aid to fix up the East Islip Middle School’s pond.

Mr. Lang, a science teacher at the middle school, reached out to the foundation for assistance with improving the pond area. FTK provided funding for fish, seaweed, bushes to surround the pond, and a protected habitat for ducklings to grow safely into adulthood.

Although Mrs. Pepe explained her excitement about the success of the new courtroom and the joy she has for watching the ducklings by the pond grow, she shared the idea that her favorite donation they have given was something entirely different.

“My proudest donation was the book vending machines we put in all four of the elementary buildings two years ago,” she stated.

FTK donated $40,000 for the installation of these book vending machines, allowing each student to choose a free book on their birthday.

Mrs. Pepe describes the sweetness of the moment when she witnesses the children excitedly visit the vending machine on their special day.

For some children, school may be the one place where they can be recognized and celebrated, especially on their birthday. To be given a book means the world to these students. While some may view it as just a book, FTK understands how much the little things mean to the students of East Islip.

Mrs. Pepe explained that FTK’s goal for the future is to continue supplementing the district with things that are exciting for the kids, things that would help a teacher in the classroom, or things that could help a team excel at their niche.

FTK is there for the community through most everything, and they deserve to be noticed and recognized by every person in the East Islip community and school district.

If you are ever more curious about FTK, click on this link to check out their new website to learn more about what FTK really is, and their large impact on this community.