Islanders Honor Farmingdale Marching Band

Fourteen-year-old Tristan was smiling from ear to ear when he met Casey Cizikas on Saturday after the Islanders home opener, and received a brand-new jersey signed by his favorite player. 

“He was definitely shy at first, but once we started talking, you could kind of see his personality start to come out,” Cizikas said. “He was smiling, he was excited and that’s what you want to see.”

The special moment served as a bright spot following the aftermath of the horrific Farmingdale bus accident on Sept. 21, where Tristan was one of the children on board when the crash occurred. His Casey Cizikas Islanders t-shirt had to be cut off in a rescue effort, so the team provided him a replacement and a special evening as a small gesture. 

“I can’t imagine what he's been through and how hard it's been for him to get to where he is right now,” Cizikas said. “So, just to see him after the game smiling and enjoying himself with his family… that’s why we do this.” 

Small gestures can go a long way, especially for a community mourning the loss of two of their own. Gina Pellettiere, 43, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, passed away in the accident and over a dozen students were injured. The Islanders invited Tristan and hundreds of other members of the Farmingdale High School community to UBS Arena on Tuesday night, including members of the marching band and family members of Pellettiere and Ferrari.

“A lot of great care is making everything feel a little better, Paul Defendini, Superintendent of the Farmingdale School District, said on Tuesday. “Tonight is an awesome example. It’s an opportunity for 500 kids and their parents to come out and watch an Islanders game. These little things do mean a lot.”

Returning to normal after devastation is never easy, and grieving is a slow process. Defendini said that through unity and the support from the community, they are able to push on.

“It’s happening slowly and it’s happening with time,” Defendini said. “There’s a lot of interconnectedness in Farmingdale, and I think that’s helping us get by. It’s been a true effort, community-wide, one step at a time. It’s not any one person doing any one extraordinary thing, it’s a lot of little things done by a lot of different people.”

“There’s a true sense of moving together,” Defendini continued. “We’re struggling together. We’re finding joy again together. We’re making music together.”

The resilience of the kids and family impacted by the tragedy exemplifies the strength of the community as a whole, and how people come together to overcome tough times.

“It just speaks to the people that live here,” Cizikas said. “You see it countless times where the community comes together, people unite and help one another. Everyone is a family and that’s what's so special about this place. That's what's special about Long Island. It doesn't matter where you go, people really care about each other.”

The special guests of the Farmingdale community were decked out in green to represent school colors Tuesday night, littering the lower bowl with green as the Islanders shut out the Arizona Coyotes 1-0.

“It’s a beautiful distraction,” Defendini said.

Sports provides an avenue of positive distraction during hard times. Fans, like Tristan, can take their mind off the devastation for a night to root for their favorite team. His mother, Irene Cialone bought him and his twin brother tickets to the upcoming Stadium Series in February, as well as tickets to more regular season games to cheer them up and give the boys something to look forward to. 

As the superintendent of Tristan’s school, Defendini is familiar with him and his family, knowing they’re die-hard Islanders fans along with many other members of the Farmingdale community in attendance on Tuesday. But even for the kids in the band who may not be avid sports fans, they also had a fun night out at UBS Arena. Impacted members of the Farmingdale community were able to experience some joy in their journey of coping and moving forward together. 

“This is the reason why I think this organization is so special, Cizikas said. “We care about everybody, not just on the team but in the community and on Long Island. We're one big family and any way that we can help uplift somebody or help somebody out, we're willing to do that.”