Friends Academy Junior Makes Headlines

Alistair Wright ‘23 has been in the news lately for his efforts to organize a Rally For Hunger pickleball tournament. The January event raised $4,500 for the North Shore Soup Kitchen’s NOSH program, which originally launched to deliver meals to the homes of families in need of food assistance due to the impact of COVID-19. The program, which is now a part of the North Shore Soup Kitchen, serves approximately 500 local families.

After learning from one of his Friends Academy teachers that NOSH had burned down during the summer of 2021, Alistair collaborated with fellow Friends Academy students Danny Duke ‘24, Austin & Russell Notaris ‘24, and Quinn Dougherty ‘23 and faculty members Upper School Dean of Students Erin Nolan and Upper School English teacher Rachael Arredondo to raise needed funds. Alistair, who is also a competitive tennis player, combined his love of sports with service.

“Since February of 2021, I’ve volunteered for a local food pantry, and I’ve seen firsthand that many, many people don’t have enough to eat,” shared Alistair. “Following the fire, NOSH has spent the last few months trying to return to their normal capacity,” he added. 

Alistair’s efforts were also noticed by major Long Island news outlets, such as Newsday, the Long Island Herald and the Long Island Press. As a student at a Quaker school, Alistair works to bring to life Friends Academy’s Quaker testimonies of community and service and in doing so, these have made an impact on him. “Because of this experience, I feel very strongly that food insecurity is a crucial issue and that it has only become more so since COVID started. My goal with this Pickleball Tournament was to contribute to NOSH so that they can continue to serve the Glen Cove and North Shore Community.”