The Islip Goes Purple initiative to increase awareness and education on substance abuse and recovery was the overarching theme at Ducks Stadium on Sunday as a sea of purple dominated the arena. Even the hometown Ducks joined fans as they donned limited edition purple uniforms for the occasion.

It was a special day for Central Islip High School as the varsity cheerleaders were featured leading the crowd to root on the home team under the direction of coach Rebecca Gallagher and assistant coach Jenna Torns.

Before the Musketeer cheerleading squad performed their routine that culminated in the pyramid, Islip Town supervisor Angie Carpenter officiated over the ceremonial first pitch.

Youth Enrichment Services, under the direction of executive director MaryAnn Pfeiffer, were on hand to  offer contacts to a wide array of services and resources to local families. During the pre-game, Supervisor Carpenter took a moment out for the camera with the CI varsity cheerleaders and Reed Middle School students who created a short video in which content centered around the Islip Goes Purple concept to combat substance abuse.

During the seventh inning stretch, Reed Middle School eighth-grader Ogechukaka Ebinum was featured singing “God Bless America” before breaking into the crowd-pleasing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”