_________________ WANTAGH ________________
HERALD Students explore future classes
Creating festive holiday treats
Students give cards to cops
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Vol. 74 No. 1
JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026
$1.00
Annual drive collects over 11,200 toys people’s lips.” In addition to community collections, local schools conJoseph Gallart, a longtime tributed to the effort. Seaford Merrick resident and commu- Manor Elementary School stunity volunteer, has once again dents donated dozens of new spread holiday cheer, collecting toys in a student-driven cammore than 11,200 toys this year paign that ran from Nov. 24 to t h r o u g h h i s n o n p r o f i t , Dec. 10. The Student Council Desirae’s Darlings, in honor of held a holiday sing-along near his late daughter. the collection boxes on the last The annual toy afternoon. drive, operating in “Joe and his its third year as a family are near and for mal nonprofit, dear to my heart, so ensures that chilwhen the opportudren in need receive nity came to congifts during the holinect a cause, I truly day season. Gallart, believe in with stuwho began collectd e n t s wh o h ave JoE GAllART ing toys in 2016, said some of the biggest Founder, t h a t t h i s ye a r ’s hearts in the world, efforts featured a Desirae’s Darlings it was a no-brainsold-out comedy e r, ” Richard show at the BellSchwartz, assistant more Playhouse and a unique principal at Seaford Manor collaboration with local TikTok wrote to the Herald. “Our influencer Mike Ventura, who Viking community has always helped gather more than 800 shown that when they put their toys from his followers. mind and heart into something, “This year was amazing,” the sky is the limit. Gallart said. “We had 73 people “In Desirae’s honor, our stuat our house for breakfast and dents were able to collect an what I call a ‘load and go.’ It incredible number of toys for was electric. Every box I pick families in need,” Schwartz up has Desirae’s picture on it. continued. “This effort was Every time I mention the chari- entirely student-driven through ty, her name is constantly on
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ
hgaldamez@liherald.com
Luke Feeney/Herald
NYU Langone staff members Dr. Darko Boljevic and Nurse Coordinator Kim Wiand helped Santa and Mrs. Claus — Larry Burke and his wife, Catherine — deliver presents to patients at NYU Langone’s Mineola location, where doctors saved Larry Burke’s life just weeks ago.
Santa Claus gets a second chance
Heart procedure helps Levittown man return in red
By lUKE FEENEY
lfeeney@liherald.com
For years, Levittown’s Larry Burke has brought Christmas joy to sick children and first responders across Nassau County. But this season, it was Santa himself who needed saving. Burke, 74, a retired public-school teacher and a longtime volunteer for the Wantaghbased Project Thank A Cop, feared that his signature holiday role would be cut short this year. He had experienced worsening fatigue and shortness of breath for months — symptoms that ultimately pointed to a failing heart valve. “I couldn’t catch my breath in bed at night,” Burke recounted. “I couldn’t walk and get up from bed to the bathroom. And now that’s all behind me.” On Nov. 24, Burke underwent a transcath-
eter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, at NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola. The minimally invasive procedure had him back on his feet within a day. “The only thing I felt was two little pinches,” Burke said, comparing it with open-heart surgery he endured 12 years ago. “I had a whole lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.” TAVR is a technique that uses a catheter to replace a damaged aortic valve without open-heart surgery. According to NYU Langone, it was initially developed for high-risk patients unable to tolerate major surgery, but is now being used more frequently for healthier, younger patients. The procedure was performed by Dr. Darko Boljevic, an interventional cardiologist at NYU Langone. “We just had to put two tubes into his groin, one for the valve and one for the thigh,” Boljevic explained. “We CoNtiNUeD oN page 7
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very year I try to get one more toy.
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