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A large group of current and former Dunkirk students and staff gathered prior to the Homecoming football game last week to witness the unveiling of the 2024 senior class gift.
When the Class of 2024 looks back on its time at Dunkirk High School, every former student will have their own memories that come to mind. That’s what growing up is about, creating moments that become memories.
One of the most memorable moments in the past year at Dunkirk took place prior to a varsity boys basketball game. As Dunkirk prepared to unveil its banner to signify the school’s efforts to promote inclusion through Unified sports, Mekiah Sedlacek, a Unified athlete, shouted, “We’re all best friends here!”
That moment will live in memory for many of the students and guests in attendance that night. Now eight months later, many of the same students that surrounded Sedlacek as he shouted the phrase that became a source of pride for the Dunkirk Unified program returned to their now-former school for another monumental moment.
Prior to the homecoming football game last Friday, the Dunkirk High School Class of 2024 unveiled a gift to the school in their honor. The gift was a plaque attached to a stone with Sedlacek’s quote engraved.
One of Sedlacek’s best friends is Zach Zentz, the Dunkirk High School 2024 Class President. Zentz took on the role of President with the goal of leaving a lasting impact on the school, not only through resurrecting past ideas and traditions, but also through creating a new legacy that can live on after the Class of 2024’s time at the school had passed. It was that motivation that sparked the class gift.
Years ago, students went on senior trips, did work in the community, and gave a class gift. Zentz and his classmates checked off the boxes on the to-do list one by one, from a senior trip to Cedar Point amusement park to community service through Senior Sweep, the Socktober sock drive, and various other acts of kindness throughout the community. Many of the sports teams had a major role in the community outreach, of which Zentz was often a part of as a runner, basketball player, and captain of the baseball team.
Finally, it came to the gift. Through the help of parents and advisers assisting the class with fundraising, there was still money left over from the class trip to be used for a gift. Zentz said through the brainstorming process that the class did not want something that would be forgotten shortly after they left.
“We wanted something that had meaning to us, the school and the future of our students,” Zentz said.
He said it wasn’t long until the group settled on highlighting the Unified program.
“This program means so much to many of the students and continues to grow on the student body as the years go on,” Zentz said.
The Unified program was founded in the sophomore year of the Class of 2024. Since then, it has grown under the leadership of club advisers Jill Domenico and Megan Larivey, along with dedicated coaches like Josh Case and Michelle Gilmour, among others. The District bought in across all levels and fostered opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to be part of the same team, sharing a love of sports and the benefits athletics can provide.
“I feel with the start up of this program, it has changed the culture of our school,” Zentz said. “If anyone stepped foot in the building for a day they would see that ‘we are all best friends here.’”
Zentz called his friend Sedlacek one of the pioneers of the Unified program. Sedlacek was at the unveiling of the gift along with Zentz and many other Unified athletes and partners as the plaque was unveiled. Sedlacek said how happy he was that everyone was there with him in the moment, and he thanked everyone for putting the gift together. Sedlacek also welcomed a group hug in the moment.
From the community support of various fundraisers to the generous donation of the stone from A.D. Titus Monuments for the plaque to be placed on, the gift was made possible to memorialize the impact the program has had on the lives of the Class of 2024.
“The rock will reside in the courtyard for students and staff to see, hopefully forever,” Zentz said.