Ed Lacinski

Ed Lacinski (1976) Ed Lacinski made unique and longstanding contributions to the Patchogue-Medford schools and community, beginning when he was still a student at Oregon Middle School, in the form of expert audio recordings that, to this day, preserve and celebrate the musical and artistic history and legacies of generations of P-M students. Ed’s fascination with music and recording began at age 5, when he attended a recording session of his father’s polka band. Everything about that day fascinated Ed, and thus began the passion of his life and his great gift to our community. 

In 1997 WALK sponsored a contest for high school choral groups to compete for an opportunity to sing at a concert with Manheim Steamroller at Nassau Coliseum. Ed entered a recording he’d made with the Barton Elementary Chorus. The Barton kids could not win because they were not in high school, but when WALK broadcast the recording, the station’s switchboard blew up. It became WALK’s most requested holiday recording that year. Ed approached PM Schools Superintendent Ray Fell and Music Director Howard Cohen, about finding a charity to benefit from prospective CD sales, and they came up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Ed’s employer, Harman International, donated CD cover artwork and pressed 7,000 discs. Sam Goody’s and AID Auto Stores sold the CDs that Ed personally delivered to their stores.

Ed incessantly promoted Celebrating Wishes by the Barton Elementary Chorus, even organizing a mall tour on which he played drums while the students sang. Celebrating Wishes raised more than $50,000 for Make-A-Wish, making it the highest-grossing school-sponsored project for the charity.