By: Danielle Bonici
danielle.bonici@jjay.cuny.edu
(212) 621-3766
NEW YORK, N.Y – Several children on Staten Island will be receiving an early holiday surprise this year on behalf of the John Jay Student Athletic Advisory Committee and their fellow teammates.
The student-athletes will assist with the Richard Gardner Jr. Memorial Toy Drive this month. The Richard Gardner, Jr. Memorial Toy Drive is held in memory of a fallen police officer who was accidently killed in 1995 at the age of 24. Each year the family of Officer Gardner collects and donates over 1,500 toys to sick and underprivileged children during the holiday season. He was the uncle of head women's softball coach,
Danielle Bonici.
This year, John Jay's SAAC Committee and fellow teammates will offer their time and talents to gift wrap an abundance of toys, which will be given out by the John Jay softball team on Dec. 22. The toys will be distributed to underprivileged children at Stapleton Church, located on Staten Island.
“The toy drive is a truly special event to me,” said
Danielle Bonici, head coach of women's softball. “To be able to have my team and the rest of the Athletics family be a part of it means a lot to me. I am so grateful.”
In addition, all toys donated to the toy drive this holiday season will be distributed to children affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Between now and Dec. 21, SAAC is encouraging people to drop off a new, unwrapped toy to the Fitness Center (sixth floor of Haaren Hall) during open hours which are Monday through Thursday from 7:45 a.m to 10 p.m, Friday from 7:45 a.m to 3:15 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4p.m or to the Athletics Department (421T) during open hours which are Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm.
