Zach is Still Spencer's Teammate

Zach Lewis and Spencer Reis played side-by-side, two defenders on the Plainview Mustangz, the community's travel soccer team.

"That's 'Mustangz,' with a 'Z,' " Lewis said Monday.

Zach is still Spencer's teammate. On Monday, Zach was leading the charge as captain of a fundraiser designed to help Spencer get well. Zach was still playing defense for his friend Monday afternoon, even though Spencer died of cancer the night before.

was 14. His funeral is today at noon at the The service is open to the public.

The memorial service will be attended by Zach and an army of students from where Spencer was a member of the freshman class. He was diagnosed with a form of leukemia last summer before school started, and was too sick to ever attend.

Still, he has hundreds of classmates.

"I wanted to do something for him, because he was my friend," Zach said Monday at , the yogurt dessert store and popular gathering spot with Plainview teenagers. "I'm the president of the freshman class, and he was always helping others out. He was one of us."

The Plainview community rallied to Spencer's side as word of Zach's fundraiser began to spread. Workers at the joined forces with members of the and hastily organized a drive Friday. Hundreds turned out.

Additional events were planned, including Monday's fundraiser at Catch the Wave. When Spencer died Sunday, Zach and owner Mike Agliato decided to go on with the event with the Reis' family blessing.

"I built the business on the idea that it would be a part of the community," said Agliato, whose "other job" is as a New York City firefighter in Woodside, Queens. "We will do what we can to help others."

All day and into the night, hundreds of people, many wearing white in Spencer's memory, streamed into Agliato's store in the Harmon Plaza. Fifty percent of the day's sales will go to assist the Reis family. Some family members dropped by, tearfully thanking those who came.

Spencer is the son of Anita and Jeffrey Reis and brother of Ryan and Joshua. Following the funeral, shiva will be observed at the Reis home from Tuesday afternoon through Monday morning. Minyans will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Spencer's mother asked Zach to be one of the speakers at today's funeral service. Zach said on Monday that he's not sure what he's going to say.

Whatever he says, it will be a heart-felt farewell to a teammate. 

Today, everyone in Plainview is on Spencer's team.