July 3rd, 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of Jay McGillis’ death. On this solemn anniversary the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund is proud to carry on Jay’s legacy and announce that more families who have a child with cancer on the First Coast will receive support thanks to the success of fundraising efforts like the 17th Annual Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic in partnership with THE PLAYERS. The Celebrity Dinner and Silent Auction and the subsequent Golf Tournament held at TPC Sawgrass in May raised net proceeds of over $347,000. All funds will remain in Jacksonville to support local children undergoing cancer treatments, and their families.
Coach Tom Coughlin established the Jay Fund in 1996 in honor of Jay McGillis. Jay was a special young man who played football for Coughlin at Boston College. Jay and his family set an impressive example of courage and dignity as they dealt with his diagnosis of leukemia. The mission of the Jay Fund is to assist children with cancers and their families by providing emotional and financial support to help reduce the stress associated with treatment and improve their quality of life.
“Twenty years have gone by since Jay’s death, but his spirit thrives and continues to inspire us to help our Jay Fund kids and their families” says Tom Coughlin, head coach of the Super Bowl XLVI winning New York Football Giants. “Today we celebrate the good that has been done as a result of Jay McGillis.”
Since its inception the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation has provided grants totaling more than $4 million to help families who have a child with cancer. The Jay Fund aims to be there for a family while going through a crisis time that most of us can’t imagine. Support is provided in the following ways: keeping the home together by paying household expenses, providing special experiences to make the kids feel special and have fun, providing essential support like child psychology and child life services, saving a child’s life by funding cord blood donor units for bone marrow transplants, helping courageous kids go to college.
For more information on the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund visit www.tcjayfund.org or call 904-543-2599.