Obituaries
Long Island High School Football Player Killed In Freak Accident Laid To Rest
Joshua Mileto was laid to rest Tuesday, five days after being killed in an accident on Long Island high school football field.
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LAKE RONKONKOMA, NY – Hundreds of people lined the streets of Lake Ronkonkoma and filed into St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church Tuesday morning to pay their final respects to Joshua Mileto, the 16-year-old who was killed in a freak accident on the Sachem High School East football field last week.
Mourners along Portion Road, many holding up five fingers to signify Mileto's uniform number, released red, black and gold balloons (the colors of the Sachem School District) as a hearse carrying the Farmingville teen passed by.
“Maybe we’ll take some lessons from his life,” the Rev. Kevin Thompson said of Mileto inside the church, the Daily News reported. “He was kind to everyone before himself. He was so much a people person ... He loved the Boy Scouts, sports, baseball, football."
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Mileto, a cornerback and wide receiver for the Flaming Arrows, was killed last Thursday morning when a large log fell on his head during a drill at an off-season training camp.
The Sachem East Touchdown Club established a GoFundMe page for donations to Mileto's family. That fundraiser had topped $80,000 as of Tuesday night. Sachem East cheerleaders held a car wash fundraiser for the family over the weekend. And drive down almost any road in the Sachem-area and you are bound to see a ribbon, balloon or memento in honor of Mileto.
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Sachem E. football players hold hands at funeral for Josh Mileto. Mileto died during training drill @Newsday pic.twitter.com/QWfmicOf3G
— Michael O'Keeffe (@MOKNYC) August 15, 2017
"It's absolutely amazing what the community here has done," Lake Ronkonkoma resident Susan Boneoli told ABC 7. "Our children are involved in sports in the Sachem district, and it's just amazing what they do for the kids. And I'm sure his memory will live on for a very long time."
Read Mileto's obituary here.
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Red, black & gold balloons - #Sachem colors- dotted the street. When the hearse carrying #JoshuaMileto drove by, they were released. pic.twitter.com/nHvtEwgKas
— Cecilia Dowd (@cealdowd) August 15, 2017
The Sachem community is absolutely amazing, so much love was shared today. Rest In Peace Josh you are truly missed
— miranda (@mirandaxxo) August 15, 2017
Love driving around and seeing all the sachem bows all over the community is truly amazing. Rest easy josh #sachemstrong
— katlyn alger (@katlynalger) August 15, 2017
The amount of togetherness Sachem has shown during one of its most adverse times is immeasurable. #WeAreSachem #SachemStrong #Forever5 pic.twitter.com/AQoziQlNwx
— Chris R. Vaccaro (@ChrisVaccaro) August 15, 2017
#SachemEast cheerleaders spent the day raising funds for the family of a fallen classmate. @abiordi12 has the story: https://t.co/kXYoBMSYA5 pic.twitter.com/lBoVu39sDc
— News12LI (@News12LI) August 13, 2017
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