FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EASTON, Mass. (September 17, 2018) – The Stonehill football program officially welcomed its newest teammate when it signed 11-year-old Daniel Stephenson, from nearby Plymouth, through Team IMPACT (Inspire, Motivate, Play Against Challenges, Together) in a ceremony inside the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex on Friday evening, prior to the Skyhawks week three matchup with LIU Post.
Danny, the son of Lori and Scott Stephenson, joins the Stonehill football program while courageously battling leukemia, diagnosed in 2017. Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams to form life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes, matched Danny with the football team and they first met during spring practice. He served as honorary captain at Saturday night’s game against LIU Post, joining in on the opening coin toss, and will continue to attend Skyhawks practices, games, team dinners, events and more during her time as a member of the team.
“We’re really excited to welcome Danny to the Stonehill football family,” said Stonehill football head coach Eli Gardner. “As our team got to know Danny in the spring and moving forward, it became obvious that it is just a terrific fit for both of us. We feel really blessed to have such a good person with a great family behind him, joining our program. I think it’s definitely inspiring to get to know Danny and to hear his story and see how he goes about attacking life and living it to the fullest, while overcoming obstacles that are placed in front of him. I think there is lot that those of us in this room and beyond can take from Danny and learn to become better people because of knowing him.”
Danny received his number 22 jersey upon signing his official Stonehill football and Team IMPACT “Letter of Intent.” Helping Danny acclimate to his new team are team advocates: senior Kyle Cullen (West Haven, Connecticut/Notre Dame-West Haven), juniors Tim O’Brien (Oakland, New Jersey/Indian Hills) and Kyle Smith (Wallingford, Connecticut/Hamden Hall), and sophomores Casey Earle (Hanover, Massachusetts/Archbishop Williams), Dohnavyn Jefferson (Ashburn, Virginia/Stone Bridge) and Ryan Weis (Old Tappan, New Jersey/Northern Valley-Old Tappan).
“I know I speak for all of my teammates when I express how happy we are to work with an organization like Team IMPACT,” said O’Brien. “The connection they have given us with a new teammate and brother in Danny will be a memory forever for us, and Danny as well.”
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched nearly 1,600 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child’s support team. Throughout the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency and perspective they can’t learn in a classroom.
Team IMPACT has more than 1,000 teams waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. If you know a child who may be interested, visit www.goteamimpact.org for more information.
- Information for this release provided by the athletic communications staff at Stonehill -
ABOUT TEAM IMPACT
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched nearly 1,600 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team. Throughout the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.
Team IMPACT has more than 1,000 teams waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. If you know a child who may be interested, visit www.goteamimpact.org for more information.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.