EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Metlife Stadium, home of the New York Giants, looked slightly different than usual on Thursday night.
That’s because it’s where retired head coach Tom Coughlin and a host of former and current Giants attended the annual Champions for Children gala, organized by the TC Jay Fund.
Established in 1996 in memory of Jay McGillis, a student-athlete of Coughlin’s at Boston College whose young life was tragically cut short due to cancer, the TC Jay Fund has spent countless hours raising funds and lifting the spirits of families whose children are battling cancer.
Various events are held throughout the year, but the Champions for Children gala, now in its 20th year, features a host of Giants celebrities, silent and live auctions, a tour of the Giants locker room and playing field, and a multicourse dinner.
It also welcomed families whose children are currently battling cancer. Each child was honored and received a locker filled with their favorite toys, memories, and keepsakes.
“The energy, the enthusiasm, and the fun that goes into it makes it all worth it,” Coughlin said about the event.
The event is regularly attended by Giants alumni who played for Coughlin during his 13-year tenure as Giants head coach and legends who played for the team when Coughlin was an assistant coach from 1988-90.
Retired Giants Kevin Boothe, Harry Carson, Karl Nelson, Henry Hynoski, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, Ottis Anderson, and Rich Seubert were all in attendance. Current New York center John Michael Schmitz. Jr. and Giants owner John Mara, were also among those who attended the event.
Most of the former players that attended were part of the Super Bowl-winning 2007 and 2011 offensive lines, both teams Coughlin coached.
“It’s incredible to be able to keep these guys together and to be able to have those combinations… not only in terms of their playing abilities but also their personalities and their toughness, too,” Coughlin said
Snee, Coughin’s son-in-law and one of his trusted “lieutenants” in the locker room during his Giants career that spanned the 2004-2013 seasons said he had no idea the offensive line of which he was a part –David Diehl, O’Hara, Seubert, and Kareem McKenzie being the other members–would be as successful as they were.
“Things were moving so fast, you never really got the chance to slow down,” Snee said. “We all kind of knew we were doing our job up front, which is all that mattered.”
The gala honored several individuals for their commitment to the organization, including Ralph Andretta, president and CEO of Bread Financial; Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, founder and CEO of Next 3 Ventures and Governor of NY/NJ Gotham FC; and Robert Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.
“The more money we can raise, the more help we can get to these families dealing with childhood cancer,” Coughlin said.
