Planting the Love for Islanders Hockey

The New York Islanders and Sparky the Dragon teamed up with officials from the Town of Hempstead and the Nassau County Cooperative extension to plant trees and flowers in Elmont in celebration of National Love a Tree Day on Tuesday.

"The Islanders are a great partner for our Long Island community," said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. "They're not only a great hockey team, but they're environmentally friendly."

Islanders staff and Sparky worked together with Hempstead officials to plant 10 trees in Averill Boulevard Park, while five additional trees were planted in Elmont Road Park with the assistance of Town of Hempstead.

"There's so much traffic here from people in the community," said Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Melissa Miller. "We're helping today to make it even more beautiful for our residents."

Clavin, who was elected Hempstead Town Supervisor in November of 2019, is a long-time Islanders fan and has fond memories at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

"I grew up on Long Island and seen them raise the Stanley Cup in the 80s," Clavin said. "Today we're raising environmental awareness by planting trees. This is a great organization with rich traditions and great ownership. And they care about the community and the environment, which is the best part."

The Islanders and UBS Arena are focused on green initiatives to enhance the environment of the Metro NY community.

"The fact that we have the Islanders pitching in, it makes it even more community-minded," Miller added. "That's our local team. We're thrilled to be a part of it."