Three Earl L. Vandermeulen High School students shared ideas of how to increase spectators at the district’s unified basketball games at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Youth Activation Committee Summit recently held at Connetquot High School.

Students Adam Friedman, Aarya Patel and Chris Sciotto represented the team in a brainstorming session including promoting the games on the school’s Morning Show program and creating unified basketball team socks and T-shirts to use as giveaways during home games. The team will also host a pizza party for their opponents after each home game to help build relationships between the student-athletes on both teams to support the idea of inclusiveness.

“We are so proud of our students for helping to continue this culture of inclusion throughout our school community,” Port Jefferson School District Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics Adam Sherrard said of the students and the sport that is recognizing its second year at Port Jefferson, last year bringing the team to a league championship and third place finish at the Section XI Championship Tournament.