Justin Thompson Night Recap
Justin Thompson is resilient. A junior at Molloy, Justin is faced with an enormous task ahead of him: he must learn to walk again. Justin is in the midst of intense rehab and physical therapy after suffering a life-changing spinal cord injury last October. The innocent victim of a senseless crime, Justin was shot by a gunman who is still at large. Justin and his family have suffered since then, but they have found the strength to accept the challenges ahead. Justin’s recovery requires sessions with a physical therapist, special home exercise equipment, home modifications, and much more. These needs greatly exceed the sole resources of the Thompson family, and while they can offer much in the way of love, they must also rely on the compassion of others. With Justin now rehabbing diligently, the Molloy community has supported their brother in a truly amazing effort. The Thompsons have hope.
Justin and his family arrived at Molloy on Friday, February 3rd just before the final game of a triple-header featuring Molloy’s freshman, JV and Varsity boys basketball teams against Fordham Prep. With 2 victories already, the crowd was anxious to finally see Justin. Throughout the evening money was raised for Justin through donations, admissions, and raffle tickets at the door. Money from concessions including t-shirts, bracelets, water donated by Nestlé©, food prepared and sold by Anne and Bob Lonergan, and a bake sale sponsored by the National Honor Society and conducted by the girls’ soccer team (with donations from the Marist Brothers of Jamaica House) also went to Justin’s recovery effort. The number of volunteers was seemingly endless; from alumni, students, families and friends, to the dedicated faculty and administration here at Molloy. Everyone was working together and doing their part for Justin.
With the night already a success, Justin and his father Donald approached center court during halftime in front of a packed house in the Jack Curran Gym. The crowd, consisting of many of his friends, teammates and teachers, clapped and chanted Justin’s name for several minutes in a truly wonderful display of support that brought a smile to Justin’s face. Alumni Development Director Craig Katinas ’93 then presented him with several donated items including an autographed Chris Paul NBA Jersey and Molloy apparel. Donald was truly touched by all the support, and he spoke to the crowd. “When this all first happened to Justin there were reporters and cameras at our home, and it was very hard,” said Donald. “Then all the cameras went away…but the Molloy community never left.” “We truly appreciate all of this support. This is a wonderful family. Never stop being Stanners,” he urged. Donald also thanked coach Andy Kostel as well as coach Jack Curran, as he described the many times he would visit his son in the hospital only to find the two coaches had already been there for hours. You can view Donald’s speech here (courtesy of the NY Post): http://twitvid.com/ADKCI
NYC Council Member Elizabeth Crowley and NYS Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, class of 1999, were in attendance and spoke to Justin and offered their support and encouragement as he continues on his road to recovery. Crowley then took time to pose for photos with Justin and his parents along with Molloy President Richard Karsten ‘81 and Principal Br. Thomas Schady. Br. Thomas shared words with Justin as well, helping to further empower the young man to continue to work hard. As the fourth quarter drew to a close, the Varsity boys had produced a sweep of the triple-header, winning 50-37. At evening’s end Justin was extremely moved by everyone’s compassion.
Through mission collections and other donations, over $50,000 has been raised for Justin and his recovery effort. Many donations also came from people not affiliated with the school in any way; they simply read Justin’s story in newspapers and were compelled to help (donations came from as far as Chicago). “I really appreciate all the love and support from everyone – especially from my Molloy family. I can’t say thank you enough,” said Justin with a big smile on his face. His determination comes through quite naturally in conversation, and when asked what he would say to all of his friends and family who came to Molloy that night, he did not hesitate to say, “I’ll see you all when I get back.”
Browse our photo gallery of Justin Thompson Night below:
Around the School
A “Typical” Stanner Weekend
Justin Thompson Night was only the beginning of a “typical” weekend for Molloy students, who are no strangers to getting involved and making an impact. 18 juniors and seniors representing the Saint Marcellin Society participated in a service weekend in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Mr. Ed Cameron, Mr. Chris Dougherty ’91, Ms. Elizabeth Reichert, and Mary Braunstein ’05, the anxious volunteers worked with Habitat for Humanity to improve the quality of life for individuals in the area who are struggling to make ends meet. Elsewhere, Molloy’s track stars also headed to Boston to participate in the 2012 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at the Reggie Lewis Center. The top 6 boys and girls Stanner teams competed against the top teams from Boston. “The kids got to stay in the same hotel as some of the best athletes in the world,” said coach A.J. Power ’84. “I got on the elevator and all of a sudden I was talking to top American miler Bernard Lagat. For these athletes to share their knowledge and some autographs with our runners was a really special experience.” Coincidentally the meet took place the day before the Super Bowl, which gave New York another chance to beat Boston – and they did. “The arena was absolutely electric,” said Power. “The announcers played up the New York vs. Boston feud for the runners, and our teams responded.”
Science Olympiad at Regional Competition
One day after their feature in the Beehive, the Science Olympiad team visited Grover Cleveland HS for a regional competition in which 25 schools participated. Molloy placed sixth overall, which was just outside qualifying for the state competition. Nevertheless, our Stanners still had some great achievements. The students placing in the top 6 spots of each of the 7 events were awarded medals. In Remote Sensing (obtaining information about an object without making physical contact), Joseph Ingrassia ’13 and Derrick Adam ’13 placed second. Joseph also placed second in a Water Quality experiment along with Maverick Alzate ’12. In Anatomy & Physiology, Alexandra Woods ’12 and Shibin Matthews ’13 placed third. Attempting Fermi Questions (dimensional analysis), Jennifer Hwu ’12 and Steven Truong ’12 placed fourth. The Robot Arm experiment saw Ryan Li ’14 and Christopher Demarco ’13 (brother of George Demarco ’11) finish in fifth place. In the Towers competition (structure test) Hyunwoo Jeung ’15 and Dante Cella ’13 placed fifth. And last, but not least, Andrew Cena ’12 and Niles Uy ’12 placed sixth in the Sounds of Music event. Team moderator Mr. John Attard ’06 was pleased with the overall results. “Our youngest and newest team members Hyunwoo and Ryan are to be commended for their outstanding achievements,” said Attard. “Joseph should also be commended; he is the only member of Science Olympiad to win multi-medals at the regional event this year.”
Upcoming Events
Lawyers Alumni Network Event
We have already gotten a great response from members of our Lawyers network, as Molloy alumni in the law profession are excited to attend the second event in our network series offering discussions and opportunities to build contacts. This free event is being generously hosted by Matthew T. McLaughlin ’87 and the Lawyers Network Committee. Lawyers, paralegals, law students, college students, judges, mediators, consultants and secretaries are invited to Venable LLP at Rockefeller Center (1270 6th Ave, 25th Floor) on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm to sit in on a discussion led by Assistant Dean Robert J. Reilly ’68 (Of the Feerick Center for Social Justice at Fordham School of Law). In addition, Mr. McLaughlin will moderate what we hope will be a spirited Q&A session following Dean Reilly’s presentation. Following the conclusion of the program attendees will enjoy light refreshments, hors’ d’oeuvres and adult beverages. Register online here or contact Craig Katinas ’93 at ckatinas@molloyhs.org for more info. Be sure to also visit LinkedIn and search Molloy Lawyers under groups to get connected.
Wine Tasting Event
Register Online Now! All Stanner alumni of legal age are invited to attend a special wine tasting at Molloy in the William J. Murphy Library. The event, taking place on Thursday, March 15th at 6:30pm, will be a “Wine 101” tasting class in the basics of wine conducted by none other than our in-house wine expert Mr. Jim Sheehan ’75, who has served Molloy as an English teacher and chorus leader for many years. According to Jim, “Novice or veteran, you’ll find something worth your while in this class.” Offerings from California, Washington, France, Portugal and more will be provided for all alumni anxious to learn about the often mysterious world of wine. Registration for this event is $35 per person. Space is extremely limited, but there is still time to register online here or call the Stanner Alumni Center at (718) 441-9210 to secure your spot.
10th Annual John Ashton 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
The Tommy Ashton 3-On-3 Basketball Tournament is scheduled for Friday, April 13, and Saturday April 14 at the St. Sebastian Parish Center in Woodside, Queens. Tommy Ashton ’97 was a lifelong resident of Woodside who lost his life on September 11, 2001 while working as an electrical apprentice for Local 3 IBEW. A proud graduate of Molloy, Tommy was a Peer Group Leader. He also swam on the Varsity Swim team for 4 years and was captain of the team in his Senior Year. A basketball tournament was established to collect donations for those in need in Tommy’s memory. This year’s Tournament proceeds will be donated to No Greater Sacrifice, a non-profit organization dedicated to the children of our nation’s fallen and wounded Service members. For more information read the event flyer here, or click here for sponsorship information.
26th Annual Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic
Reservations are being taken now! The 26th Annual Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic will tee off on Monday May 7, 2012 at two premiere golf courses on Long Island: Plandome Country Club and North Hills Country Club. The Classic is not only Molloy’s largest annual all class reunion – it is also an event that helps to perpetuate the Stanner spirit for present and future generations of students. The money raised at the Stanner Golf Classic each year is a powerful reminder of the great generosity and passion for excellence and tradition that exists among the Stanner Community. The Stanner Golf Classic begins with brunch at 9:30AM. Foursomes then commence their games and enjoy gourmet food, adult beverages, contests and prizes all throughout the courses. The cocktail hour begins at 5:00PM, leading to dinner, live and silent auctions and prizes of all shapes and sizes. Prizes include trips to the Super Bowl, Las Vegas, Ireland…you name it, you probably have an opportunity to win it. At just $395 per person this deal is tough to beat. We hope that you, your family and friends will register early to ensure that you will be a part of the Stanner Community’s biggest day of the year. To make a golf reservation or purchase a sponsorship, journal ad, or raffle tickets please call Alumni Relations Director Maria Ford at (718) 943-3186 or email mford@molloyhs.org.
So many alumni came out to support Justin Thompson on February 3rd, which is no surprise to us considering how Stanners have always jumped at the opportunity to help each other in the past. Two alumni who arrived early in the evening were truly honored to participate: classmates Jim Kiernan ‘63 and Stanner Hall of Famer Bob Corrigan ’63. Bob especially, as a former runner who constantly relied on his legs, knows how badly Justin wants to not only to return to school, but to eventually continue his athletic career. With the support of alums like Bob and Jim, Justin has even higher hopes that he will recover. As for Bob and Jim, well, they see a lot of each other these days. Not only are they very good friends 49 years after graduating from Molloy together, but they are neighbors too!
Keisha Weil ‘04 currently teaches Intro to Cultural Anthropology and Caribbean Anthropology at York College, a CUNY school. Her work there began after she attended a conference and was encouraged to submit a resume to the school by an important contact at the school. Keisha studied Anthropology and felt this was a natural move for her. Keisha attained her Masters degree in 2010 and is now pursuing a PhD in Anthropology and teaching at York will give her the best opportunity to continue her research. Keisha often travels to Aruba and Curacao to conduct hands-on research, which she hopes will eventually have an impact on the educational systems in those countries. “I’ve been down in Aruba/Curacao too many times to count since I was a kid,” says Keisha. Part of her research involves the Papiamentu language in which she will study how the locals view their language in terms of culture and education and how that affects the educational system.
Former Molloy Teacher Bob Spedalare has passed away. Bob is also the father of Thomas Spedalare ’93. Please pray for the Spedalare family during this difficult time.
Pete Kwiatkowski ’81 informed us of the sudden passing of John Powers ‘80 on Sunday, February 5, 2012. According to Pete, John’s recent position was the Water Business Group Leader of CH2M HILL (engineering consulting firm) in Tampa, Florida. “He was a good guy, and a great dad, and he will be missed,” says Pete. John is survived by his three sons. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Jagde, father of John ’78 and Dan ’81. Please pray for the Jagde family.