May 5, 2010
WASHINGTON – University of Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly will be honored at a benefit dinner for Friends of Jaclyn Foundation this Saturday, May 8, in Washington, D.C.
Kelly was selected by the charitable organization based on his exceptional leadership and involvement with the foundation’s “Adopt-A-Child” program.
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation is a non-profit organization that improves the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and their families. Through the “Adopt-A-Child” program, Friends of Jaclyn creates lasting relationships between children battling pediatric brain tumors and collegiate athletic teams. The child becomes an honorary team member, gaining a new group of friends, and the team gets inspiration from the child. Friends of Jaclyn’s programs are based on love, support and friendship between the child, the child’s family and his or her “adopted” team.
Kelly participated in the program in 2009 as head coach at the University of Cincinnati. The Bearcats adopted Mitch Stone, a 12-year-old boy battling a pediatric brain tumor. A Cincinnati native who was in the sixth grade at Maddux Elementary School when the Bearcats adopted Stone became as much a member of the Cincinnati football team as any of the players. The Bearcats became the first NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision team to adopt a child through Friends of Jaclyn.
The 2010 Friends of Jaclyn Fourth Annual Banquet begins at 6:30 pm on May 8 with a silent auction and cocktail hour at the Organization of the American States Building. It will be followed by a dinner program at 8:00 pm featuring Kelly as a guest speaker. Tickets are $150 per person or $1,250 per table and may purchased through the Foundation’s website, www.friendsofjaclyn.org.
Friends of Jaclyn is a 501(c)(3) organization. There are currently over 240 children across the country adopted in 20 different sports. Approximately 1,300 teams are waiting to adopt a child.
For more information on Friends of Jaclyn, please visit: friendsofjaclyn.org.
For more information on Brian Kelly’s involvement with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, read either of these stories:
University of Cincinnati athletics website press release
New York Times article from Oct. 15, 2009
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