FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2016
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The Merrimack women's soccer team and head coach Gabe Mejail in conjunction with Team IMPACT officially signed and welcomed Sarah Pastore to the program this week.
Sarah becomes the latest relationship forged through Merrimack Athletics and Team IMPACT, which enriches the lives of young children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team.
Sarah, 5, is a North Reading, Massachusetts, native, and was diagnosed prior to her birth with kidney dysplasia. She received a kidney transplant just after her first birthday and has to take anti-rejection medications which can suppress her immune system so even a common cold can make Sarah much sicker than the average person. She receives a weekly immune-system boosting transfusion and makes sure she stays hydrated to keep her kidneys functioning properly.
A soccer players herself, Sarah, as well as her mom and dad and her six-year old brother John all love to stay active. Sarah is a big fan of gymnastics, ballet and swimming and has just started playing soccer recently. Her favorite number is 31, and her favorite colors are purple and pink. She loves the movie Snow White, the TV show Peppa Pig, and loves pizza as well.
This past Monday, Sarah visited the campus of Merrimack to officially sign on as the newest Warrior. Mejail and many members of the women's soccer team were on hand to welcome, meet and watch Sarah sign on as the newest member of their team.
About Team IMPACT
Team IMPACT aims to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. They do this by matching these courageous kids with local college athletic teams. Team IMPACT children are drafted onto the team and become an official member of the team from Draft Day through to Graduation. The child joins the athletic team and the student athletes join the child's support team. The child gains great strength, camaraderie and support and the student athletes are taught lessons about courage, resiliency and life perspective that they can't learn in a classroom. Through a structured relationship management methodology, we establish and cultivate these relationships to ensure a successful experience for the families and teams involved.
For more information on Team IMPACT, please click here.
Reporting for this release provided by the Merrimack Athletic Communications staff.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 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 Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
