In just its second year, the Dr. Calabro Lodge of the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America has rapidly expanded its impact on local students, awarding a total of eighteen scholarships in 2025 to help young people pursue higher education and career goals.
The lodge awarded sixteen scholarships to graduating seniors at William Floyd High School and two scholarships to eighth-grade students at Our Lady Queen of Apostles Regional School in Center Moriches. The awards build on the lodge’s inaugural year in 2024, when six scholarships were presented to local students.
Founded in 2024, the Dr. Calabro Lodge has made educational support its central mission. By tripling the number of scholarships awarded in its second year—and increasing the dollar value of each—the organization has quickly established itself as a force for opportunity.
“Just one year into our journey, we were blessed to award six scholarships,” said lodge President Leonardo Saburro. “In 2025, our goal was to grow that number significantly, and thanks to community support, we were able to award eighteen scholarships and triple the impact.”
Looking ahead, lodge leaders say plans are underway to expand the scholarship program again in 2026, with the goal of reaching even more local students.
To support that effort, the Dr. Calabro Lodge will host its annual Scholarship Gala on February 1, 2026, at Sunset Harbour in East Patchogue. The event, described as a “Celebration of Life and Learning,” will honor New York State Senator Dean Murray and Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano.
The lodge also administers the Anthony Stinson Memorial Scholarship, established in 2023 to honor a Shirley teen whose life was cut short. Additional scholarships bear the name of Dr. Frank Calabro, a longtime Mastic Beach physician for whom the lodge is named.
Organizers say every dollar raised supports the scholarship fund directly, reinforcing the lodge’s commitment to investing in local students and the future together through education.