GATORS FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Written by Meghan Welcome

Troy, NY—The Sage College Gators have been taking a community-service approach this year. Starting in the fall of 2010, Captains from each team and Athletic Director, Dani Drews, met to discuss community service projects in and around the capital region.

The women’s basketball team for Sage Colleges chose to support a little boy from Watervliet, NY as their community-service focus for their season. Jacob Mooney was a third-grade student at Watervliet Elementary School. With a diagnosis in late June 2010, Jacob was battling stage-two Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer, and had already been hospitalized many times.

On December 7, 2010, The Gators played a game and held a fundraiser in efforts to support Jacob and his family. Selling t-shirts, collecting donations and holding half-time contests helped the Gators raise nearly $1,300 for Jacob. The women’s basketball team called themselves “Jacob’s Angels”. Sadly, Jacob was not able to make this game, for he was sick and was rushed back to treatment.

Recently, on Sunday, February 13, 2011, the Sage Gator Men’s and Women’s basketball teams held another game for Jacob, in hopes he would be able to make it. Sadly, on February 11, two days before the game, Jacob passed away at Albany Medical Center with his family by his side.

The Sage College Gators continue to support good causes around the area. For instance, the Women’s softball team is currently looking into dates and times they can visit the kids at the Children’s Hospital to volunteer time to do arts, crafts, and some fun games. They hope to help the children have fun and to take their focus off their illness and treatments.

For more information or questions on “Gators For A Good Cause”, please contact Meghan Welcome, Co-Captain of the Women’s Softball team at welcom@sage.edu.