Five Seaford High School Graduates Recognized With Patriot Award

SEAFORD, NY — Five Seaford High School graduates were recognized this year with the Patriot Award for their service to their community, commitment to helping others and exceptional character.

The Patriot Award, presented by the Seaford 9/11 Memorial Committee, is awarded in honor of the five Seaford High School graduates who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks: Thomas Haskell (Class of 1982), Timothy Haskell (1985), John Perry (1982), Robert Sliwak (1977) and Michael Wittenstein (1985).

This year, the committee gave the awards to Erica Albert, Matt Karounos, Jessica Kofod, Logan Masters and Chris Surace during the Aug. 6 graduation ceremony on Seaford High School's front lawn. The recipients were chosen from dozens of applicants for best embodying the traits of the five men lost on 9/11.

Each recipient received scholarship money. In the 19 years that the award has been presented, the memorial committee has given out more than $200,000 to almost 100 Seaford graduates.

Tom Condon, the district’s retired athletic director and a founder of the committee, highlighted the similarities between Seaford High School's Class of 2020 and the Class of 2002, which had the first group of Patriot Award recipients and which graduated in the aftermath of 9/11. The Class of 2002 faced an uncertain world just as the current graduates face life during a global pandemic.

“You are well-prepared to meet all the challenges ahead of you,” he told the graduates at the ceremony, “because you are Seaford pride.”

Ken Haskell, president of the memorial committee, joined Condon for the awards presentations. His brothers, Tommy and Timmy, were both New York City firefighters who responded to the towers on 9/11.

In his remarks to a class that just had its senior year interrupted, Mr. Haskell explained that a defining characteristic for a person is how well they can respond to adversity. Thus, the Patriot Award celebrates students who have demonstrated exceptional character, a desire to serve their community and a commitment to helping others.