Oakfield Alabama schools

Since its inception in 2009 with only eight schools and 100 participants, the 2013 Dash in the Dark has increased its size to 29 schools from all over WNY including Section 5, 6 and one school from Erie, Pa.

Oakfield-Alabama is the host to the "kickoff of the cross-country season" said Coach Rich Boyce of Batavia. There are four races in a relay format with three team members that run two miles each. There are some obstacles like those shown above -- hay bales and dark areas around the course. Each participant carries the baton and passes it off. Team members from Sweet Home in Section 6 pictured below.

Average race typically last about an hour. Stadium, portable, lighted towers and strobe lights were off in the distance used to help shine some light on the path.

Pictured above / below is the girls varsity race, which had about 170 runners in the event with 57 teams total. Boys varsity had similar numbers.

Girls JV had 29 teams and Boys JV had 63 teams participating. There were two divisions split between large and small schools.  

Large School Division: Albion, Batavia, Canandaigua, East Aurora, Gates-Chili, Grand Island, Lancaster, Orchard Park, Pittsford-Mendon, Starpoint, Sweet Home, and Webster-Schroder.

Small School Divison: Alexander, Attica, Avon, Byron-Bergen, Charter School for Applied Technology, Geneseo, GOW School, Holley, Kendall, Mercyhurst Prep, Mount Morris, Mount St. Mary Acadamy, Newfane, Nortre Dame of Batavia, Oakfield-Alabama, Wayland Cohocton, and Wheatland-Chili.

Winners of each race are pending results.

Photos and story submitted by Steve Ognibene.

Sgt. Bill Snyder is happy to be back teaching eighth-grade social studies at Oakfield Alabama Middle School.

Today is his first day back in the classroom after a two-and-a half year deployment overseas in Kuwait.

"A lot of older kids are shocked to see me in hallways," Snyder says. "The younger kids are wondering who I am."

Snyder, who is with the National Guard, came home to Oakfield on Christmas Eve.

"It was a great present for my wife and kids."

He says he is looking forward to bringing his experiences from Afghanistan and Kuwait into the classroom.

"As a teacher any new experiences you have with different cultures and people can be brought back home and relayed to the kids. It brings a little realism to my classroom." 

Sgt. Snyder has been with the Oakfield Alabama Central Schools since 2000. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and returned one year later to teach part of the 2009-2010 school year.

In 2010, he was sent to Kuwait on second deployment.

"Kuwait was less hostile than (during) my first deployment to Afghanistan in 2008. They are more supportive of U.S. troops now."

This morning, in an assembly organized by Joe Jankowski, a counselor with the district, Sgt. Snyder was presented with a shadow box containing a flag and certificate along with a photo of Snyder and his fellow soldiers while they were stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The items were a gift to the Oakfield Alabama School District in 2009. Snyder had sent the flag that was flown over his base, the certificate, and photo after the district sent so many school supplies, clothing, and food packages overseas to the Afghan people near Snyder's base.

"I sent the flag and the certificate to honor the school district and the kids for supporting the military. A community in the United States helping another community around the world."

"He dedicated and sacrificed his own life to secure our freedom for our country and this assembly was just a way to show a little respect for him and his service," Jankowski says. "He has a presence about him, the kids see him as a positive role model which is what we need today. We are glad to have him back."