Neighborhood Spotlight: Long Island Applebee’s Location Keeps Baseball Team’s Tradition Alive with Special Meal

With students across the country staying home, many high schoolers are reminiscing about the moments they miss the most about the end of the school year. For Chris Costaro, the varsity baseball team captain at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, N.Y., the moments he misses the most are bonding with his teammates and going to Applebee’s® to celebrate every game win. As a high school senior, the cancellation of the spring baseball season due to COVID-19 means he will not have another chance at a team dinner before heading off to Ithaca College in the fall.

After seeing Chris share his disappointment in an interview with local outlet LIHerald.com, the team at the Bellmore Applebee’s knew they had to do something to bring John F. Kennedy High School’s baseball team together for their last meal of the season. The Applebee’s team sprang into action and offered to supply the baseball team with food and drinks for a virtual celebration. The team’s coach, Coach Gattus, graciously accepted and noted that, “many alumni still talk about the great times they had with their teammates going to the ‘bee’ after wins …”

On Thursday, May 21, the JFK High School baseball team picked up their dinner at Applebee’s via Carside To Go and had one last full-team celebration on Zoom.

At Applebee’s, we know how great the end of senior year can be for students, and celebrating the last game, going to prom and walking at graduation is a rite of passage the class of 2020 will miss. The Applebee’s team hopes this small celebration will bring some joy to this team during this unprecedented time.