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Smithtown’s Nesaquake Middle School Students Step Up For Teacher Battling Cancer

Pictured: From left to right: Rick Iurka, Gracyn Catalanotto, Morgan DeBello and Nesaquake Middle School Principal Dan McCabe.

Photos courtesy of Smithtown Central School District

Nesquake Middle School Social Studies teacher Rick Iurka, who has been battling cancer the last few months, reunited to see faculty and students at the recent moving up ceremony.

There were two students in particular he was looking forward to seeing, Gracyn Catalanotto and Morgan DeBello.  Upon hearing about his cancer battle, Gracyn and Morgan, who had Mr. Iurka as a teacher in 7th grade, both came up with the idea to raise money for him by buying #iurkastrong bracelets and selling them throughout the school.

Smithtown’s Nesaquake Middle School Students Step Up For Teacher Battling Cancer

The girls raised $771 dollars and will send that money to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The news gets even better as Mr. Iurka is now cancer free and plans on returning to teaching in the fall.

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