Division Wears Green for 'BryGuy'

The color green is everywhere you look on St. Patrick's Day, but at Division Avenue High School the color means more than Irish pride.

It's the favorite color of Brian McNamara, affectionately known by his many friends as "BryGuy", an outgoing, athletic senior at Division who passed away suddenly on Sept. 11, 2010 at the young age of 17.

 To honor their beloved friend, Division students Dillon Sykes and Justin Goldman, who also attend Levittown's Gerald R. Claps Career and Technical Center, designed and silk screened green t-shirts inscribed with "BryGuy" on the front and "Forever in our hearts" on the back and sold them as a fundraising project for the McNamara family. 

The National Technical Honor Society at GC Tech sponsored the creation and sale of the shirts.

"The kids all thought it was pretty appropriate that the t-shirts will be worn for the first time on a holiday that was close to Brian's heart, St. Patrick's Day," said Laurie Sykes, Dillon's mother.

Over 150 t-shirts have been sold, and more will be ordered to meet the large demand, Goldman said. McNamara's impact on the community has been clear all year as he was honored at sporting events, homecoming and just remembered every day by his friends and loved ones, but his memory was overwhelming today as students proudly dressed in their green "BryGuy" shirts flowed in and out of the school.

T-shirts are $10, and XXL and XXXL sizes are $12. To order your own, call Justin at 516-749-0829 or Dillon at 516-205-0482.

Check out photos of Division students celebrating their friend's life by clicking on the gallery to the right. Have your own "BryGuy" photos? Upload them here or e-mail them to nina.ruggiero@patch.com.