On Thursday, February 27, the Massapequa High School gym was transformed into a charming, Western setting for the annual “Shindig in the Barn” — a Massapequa tradition that has lasted for over twenty years. C.A.R.E. club advisor Mrs. Patricia McCarthy and club members hosted the fundraiser in order to raise money for Michael Burkhardt’s family members.
Burkhardt, a graduate of the MHS class of 1998, passed away a few months ago from brain cancer, leaving behind a wife and two-year-old twins.
The club requested a ten dollar donation per square dancer, raising over one thousand dollars by the end of the night.
“It was a lot of fun, and the money went towards a great cause” junior Daniel Sweeney said.
Shindig in the Barn is the ultimate test for Massapequa students to discover the best square dancers. The night featured professional square dance callers Lou and Sue Flego. They also taught students new moves such as “the Wave”.
Lou started his love for square dance when he became a gym teacher at Plainedge High School, while Sue was a teacher in North Port. Together, they have been making calls for square dancing for fifty years.
“I love what I do, and it’s even better working with Lou,” Sue said
Other highlights of the night were the C.A.R.E club raffles, the ‘Funky Monkey’ Dance-Off, in which seniors Alex Georgalas and Brittany Garcia were crowned champions, and the giant square promenade around the entire gym. At the end of the night, the squares competed to see who would be able to finish the most number of songs without messing up. If a group made one incorrect move, they were eliminated from the competition.
The other groups put up a great fight, but ultimately senior JB Beck and his square reigned supreme. His group also included senior Jamie Ahrens, junior Matt Beck, senior Colleen Bourgal, senior Brianna Falcone, sophomore Kimberly Haran, junior Nick Vinberg, and senior Tim Woods. Beck’s group also won the same award last year, making his group the first ever back-to-back champions in Shindig history.
“After winning last year, we didn’t really have any expectations of winning again,” Beck said. “We had an awesome time; repeating the success from last year was just an added bonus.”
In addition, senior Sarah Haberlack and her group took home the title of “Best Dressed.” The group also included seniors Veronica Held, Emily Macklin, Mike Letzer, Meghana Rao, Tom Sarant, Frank Tropeano, and Chris Wood.
“As a two-time recipient of the Best Dressed Award as well as an overall enthused participant, I can certainly say that the Shindig is a great Massapequan tradition that brings the high school together in a fun, fashionable way!” Haberlack said.
This evening was a definite success for all. Students are eagerly awaiting next year’s Shindig where they can have a great time and put their square dancing skills to the test.