National campaign funds projects at two Long Island schools

Sigma Corporation of America, a Ronkonkoma-based camera and lens manufacturer, announced the results of its fourth annual “Focused on the Fight” Charitable Giving Campaign. 

The initiative funded dozens of educational projects at schools across the country, including two here on Long Island. East Islip High School was awarded funding for its “Strobe Lighting for Photography Students” project and Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School in Wyandanch was awarded funding for its “Strike a Pose It’s Camera Time” project.

The 46 school projects were chosen by participating Sigma dealers through DonorsChoose, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting teachers and students by funding educational projects that go beyond traditional school budgets.

So far, Sigma dealers have donated to 68 schools and funded 70 school projects and will continue to grow as more projects are funded.

“We strongly believe that Sigma’s ‘picture’ – or actions – must match our words,” Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma America, said in a company statement. “Photography, by its creative nature, promotes awareness, compassion, and empathy; it is the heart of all we do as photographers. Nurturing and cultivating the next generation of creatives starts in the school, and it’s often the creative programs that are the first to fall victim to underfunding. We look forward to the impact this initiative will have on our communities now, and in the years to come.”

Sigma’s “Focused On the Fight” campaign was started in 2020 to assist in alleviating and eradicating COVID-19 after-effects, and in 2022 turned its focus to supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Since its inception, $343,000 has been donated to charities in the United States and Ukraine, including local charities selected by 53 Sigma participating dealers.