Latest news with #JayFund
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Classic at 30 years old: 'It's an honor ... a treasure'
It's well-documented what the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund has done for the victims of childhood cancer and their families since the inaugural Jacksonville Jaguars coach established the charity in 1996 in memory of Jay McGillis, the player Coughlin coached at Boston College who died of cancer. In three decades, the Jay Fund has raised more than $32 million and impacted more than 6,700 families with financial assistance and support on the First Coast and the Greater New York Metropolitan area. Advertisement And this year was a record amount raised from the 30th playing of the Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Classic at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course on May 19, with around $975,000 and counting, beating last year's $800,000. But what has 30 years of the Jay Fund done for Coughlin, the two-time Super Bowl champion coach with the New York Giants and took the Jaguars to two AFC title games as an expansion team? What's been his reward? Coughlin considers the joy he and his family experience with the numerous success stories — even in cases where patients don't recover but their family's burdens are still eased — as all the reward he needs. Cancer survivor Sloane Stadt, 9, left, interviews former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin, right, before the start of the 30th annual Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Tournament Monday May 19, 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] 'When I go into a hospital room and they say, 'thank you,' I want to thank them,' Coughlin said before 160 players teed off at the home of The Players Championship (one of the major partners in the tournament). 'No matter what the situation, with the parents, the child … if we have helped and they know we've helped and we've given them an opportunity to take a deep breath, that means a lot.' Advertisement Coughlin's daughter Keli, the CEO of the Jay Fund, said it's more than empathy and a desire to help others, although that runs strong through the organization. 'It's an honor to walk alongside families that are going through their toughest moments,' she said. 'It's their darkest days. The fact that they allow us to be part of that circle and hopefully make their life a little bit better during that time … I think for us as a family it's something we've really sort of grown to treasure.' Jay Fund Classic attracts another strong celebrity field The Jay Fund Celebrity Classic could rightly be called the organization's 'Super Bowl.' There is the Wine Tasting Gala in Jacksonville in February and the Champions for Children Gala each October in New York. There are also around 80 other fundraising events but none bigger than the golf tournament, which this year attracted the usual list of celebrities from sports and entertainment. Football Hall of Fame Leroy Butler tees off of one during the 30th annual Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Tournament Monday May 19, 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] The golf tournament included former NFL players Kevin Hardy, Pete Mitchell, Mark Rypien, Josh Scobee, Greg Coleman, Luke Kuechly, Jeff Feagles, LeRoy Butler, Chris Snee, Bryan Barker and Tom McManus; former Jaguars coaches Doug Pederson and Mike Mularkey, former NFL coaches Dave Campo and Dick Vermeil, Major League Baseball player Daniel Murphy and U.S. Olympic gold medalist hockey player Jack O'Callahan; and actor Asher Grodman. Advertisement Banquet attendees were led by current Jaguars coach Liam Coen, Executive Vice-President Tony Boselli, coach Edgar Bennett, and current team members Logan Cooke, Cam Little and Ross Matiscik. Asher Grodman said Tom Coughlin is the inspiration Grodman, a Jaguars fan since he was 8 years old, said he was inspired by Coughlin's speech at the banquet urging support for the Jay Fund's goals. 'As an actor you meet a lot of people and there's always the possibility of getting tongue-tied or speechless,' he said. 'That never happens to me, except when I came here [the the Jay Fund Classic] two years ago and met Tom for the first time and I had no idea what I was saying. He and this team had a huge impact on my childhood and to hear him speak, who doesn't want to run into a wall after that? Actor Asher Grodman, left, jokes around with the original Jaxson DeVille, Curtis Dvorak, right, during a break in play during the 30th annual Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Tournament Monday May 19, 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla. 'Then you hear the stories about what the Jay Fund does, even without being in Jacksonville … and I wanted to get involved.' Sloane Stadt is one of those stories Sloane Stadt was only 3 years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Hospitalized at Wolfson Children's Hospital, she was isolated from her family, with only one parent able to visit at a time because of COVID restrictions. Advertisement Her mother, Ashley, had to quit her job. Sloane's father, Jason, was working on half of his salary due to cutbacks in business and had to stay home most of their time with his oldest daughter Charlotte, then 9. Charlotte then had to donate bone marrow to help save her sister's life. Facing difficulty meeting their mortgage and even utilities, the family was told by a hospital employee that they might be able to get help from the Jay Fund. 'We weren't really sure, month-to-month, week-to-week, what was going to happen,' Ashley Stadt said., 'And the Jay Fund really stepped up, helped us pay our mortgage bills, paid our electric, some random bills.' Jason Stadt said the burden was overwhelming until help arrived from the Jay Fund. Advertisement "They made it so we could pay the hospital bills, our insurance co-pays and keep a roof over our heads," he said. "Ashley had to stop working during COVID. My salary was cut in half. I was making less then unemployment. And the Jay Fund stepped in. Such a huge help." And Sloane, now 9, is cancer-free, sings in her choir, is a cheerleader and is getting serious about Taekwondo. Jay Fund also announces scholarship recipients The Jay Fund also is more than helping families in the present. They're helping ensure futures with the Jay Fund Scholars, which donates $10,000 for four years of higher education. Advertisement The 2025 recipients, all from the First Coast and all cancer survivors, are Te'Von Berry, Page Oliver, Morgana Donathan, Liam Gonzalez and Elizabeth Forte. Like the football coach he is, Tom Coughlin doesn't dwell on the past 30 years or the future of the Jay Fund. "We always kept a perspective of every year," he said. "Every year is the most important. The energy and passion that you see in Keli and her Jay Fund team ... they're amazing. They excite all of us. It's very fulfilling, for all 30 years." This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin celebrates 30 years of Jay Fund golf
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin bullish about Travis Hunter's potential on and off the field
Former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin is excited about the team's selection of wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the second overall pick of the 2025 draft. And from what he's heard and read about the Heisman Trophy winner, Coughlin thinks Hunter will make a huge impact on the First Coast, on and off the field. Advertisement "The possibilities are great ... they always are," Coughlin said on May 19 at the TPC Sawgrass, just before the first tee shot of the 30th Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Classic. "You've got a kid that's as talented as there is, probably the most talented kid in the draft. And he seems like a good, really solid person, which really feeds, feeds into this community." Coughlin has taken note of Hunter's 4.0-grade point average at Colorado, graduating on schedule and charming everyone from the Rockies to Duuuval with his outgoing personality. Former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin, left, has a laugh with Bill Merriam, center and his son Austin Merriam, right, while taking part in the 30th annual Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Tournament Monday May 19, 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla. The event raises money for families whose children are battling different kinds of cancer. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Coughlin was realistic about the nature of the transition from college football player to the NFL. Many of the game's biggest stars come out after three years and not everyone returns to complete a degree. Advertisement But he wishes more would follow Hunter's example. "That it's their future ... their future is not going to end in five or six years when football's done. Then what are they going to do?" Coughlin said. "You're always building for your future." One thing Coughlin encouraged his players to do, regardless of getting a degree or not, was to get involved and give back to the community. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) catches a pass during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. "Get out in the community, meet people you know, let people know who you are," he said. "Show some depth. Show some pride in where you've come from and how you've developed yourself. Because life is going to go on many, many years after they're done playing." Coughlin proud of Tony Boselli's new job Coughlin also expressed great pride in the first draft choice he made as a Jaguars coach, Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Tony Boselli, now the Jaguars Executive Vice-President for Football Operations. Advertisement "He's very happy with what he's doing. He's totally engaged ... he's got it going," Coughlin said. "His mind is working a million miles an hour. He's very smart. He stayed on top of the football aspect of it, so he knows people that are in the building, he knows the players ... he's very excited, and he'll do a great job." This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter has gotten former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin fired up
