Giants Country

Giants Host Former Head Coach Tom Coughlin's Jay Fund Sundae Blitz

Coughlin's Jay Fund brings an afternoon of joy and treats to children and their families dealing with illness.

Adrienne M. Terzuoli

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
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Last month, the blitz was on at MetLife Stadium as the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund held its annual ‘Sundae Blitz’ event in person for the first time in almost two years.

Jay Fund advisory board member Kate Snee, daughter of former Giants head coach and wife of former offensive lineman Chris Snee, said the excitement was amazing.

“Honestly, I feel like I was holding my breath that we would even be able to have it with the way life has been, but it’s so nice to be here. The setup is incredible. We’re so thankful to the Giants for allowing us to do this, and I’m just excited to see the kids and their happy faces. It’s a great day for everyone. It warms our hearts.”

The sundae blitz gives the families of children battling cancer and other serious illnesses a reprieve from dealing with doctors, hospitals, and medical treatments. In addition to having full access to an unlimited sundae bar, the children and their families can tour the facilities, meet the players, and enjoy being kids without a care in the world.

A Family Affair

This year's event attendees were greeted by one of the Jay Fund’s dozens of volunteers. They received some Jay Fund swag and a football to collect autographs from the day’s guests such as Super Bowl Champions Kevin Boothe, Chris Snee, David Tyree, and Super Bowl Champion and Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson.

For the TC Jay Fund, the notions of family and community run deep. Founded by Coughlin in honor of Jay McGillis, a student-athlete at Boston College during Coughlin's time as head coach who lost his cancer battle, the Jay fund aims to provide financial and emotional support to families with children stricken by illness.

The TC Jay Fund is chaired by Coughlin's daughter Keli, the fund's CEO who, along with other family members and friends, stage numerous events both in the New York metro area and in Jacksonville, Florida, to raise funds to support the Fund's mission statement.

“Everyone wants to wrap their arms around each other and be there,” Keli Coughlin said, citing the Fund's well-known hashtag, Be There.

“Our goal as an organization is to build that community. We’re with parents and patients from diagnosis to recovery and beyond. We’re there through different phases of their journey and can look ahead with them every step of the way.

"And then there are days like this where the families can take a time out and sit with each other; parent to parent, sibling to sibling, patient to patient, and know that they can talk to someone who has been there.”

Keli’s sister, Kate, who is on the Fund's advisory board, agreed that family plays a large role in the Jay Fund, noting it has been part of her life for as far back as she can remember.

“This developed when I was in middle school," Kate said. "From the time I was 12, I knew the Jay Fund, and my parents led by example. It became a way of life. I hope that is the same thing my children are seeing.”

Sundae Fun Day

After a stop at the step-and-repeat in front of the charity’s signature logo backdrop and a quick lunch, families were in full game mode, competing in classic arcade games such as foosball, air hockey, pop-a-shot, ping-pong, and even a battle of NBA proportions on the Xbox.

Arts and crafts, airbrush tattoos, a selfie station, and a DJ spinning upbeat tunes allowed parents and children to kick back for the day and enjoy some good food, fun, and family time.

Families took a tour of the Giants locker room, and they were treated to a lesson on game-day equipment. The children and their families indulged in a fully stocked make-your-own ice cream sundae bar at the end of the day.

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Chris and Kate Snee pose during the TC Jay Fund Sundae Blitz.

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Sebastian Jerolimic (facing forward) and his broker Sebastian enjoy a game of table hockey during the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Sundae Blitz. 

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TC Jay Fund advisory board member Kate Snee (left) and her sister Keli Coughlin, the Fund's CEO, are all smiles during the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Sundae Blitz.

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From left to right: Chris Snee, Kevin Boothe, and Harry Carson pose with a young participant during the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Sundae Blitz.

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Zoey Henry poses with her family during the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Sundae Blitz.

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Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree chats with Ty Weinglass.

Tamara (TJ) Henry, who attended the event with her 11-year-old daughter Zoey, could not speak highly enough about everyone at the Jay Fund.

“We were introduced to the Jay Fund through NYU, where Zoey is a patient," she said. "This is the first event we’ve been able to come to, and this is just incredible. As a parent of a child with pediatric cancer and as a nurse, at first, you’re like, 'I’ve got this; no sweat.'

"Then the mom part kicks in, and it was hard. It was Zoey who got me through. She was ready to kick this. I saw other patients who were part of the Jay Fund, and I thought it was nice what they did, but until you are going through it and experiencing it, you don’t know what it is. Grateful doesn’t describe it."

On May 7 of this year, Zoey, quite the air-hockey player, celebrated her first chemo-free anniversary.

Other adult family members reiterated Ms. Henry's sentiments about how the Jay Fund offers hope. For these parents, the TC Jay Fund isn’t just about a day of fun or a place that offers financial support; it is a place and a group of people, some of whom they might not have otherwise met, that allows them the hope that no matter what happens someone will always "be there."

For more information about the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, volunteer, or donate, please visit www.tcjayfund.org.

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Adrienne M. Terzuoli
ADRIENNE M. TERZUOLI

Adrienne M. Terzuoli

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