Kean and NY Red Bulls Support Pediatric Cancer Patients
By Jalen Gaynor | Published October 28, 2022
Kean University and the New York Red Bulls partnered up to help families staying at Ronald Mcdonald House in New York by putting together breakfast bags with encouraging words.
Ronald Mcdonald House’s mission is to provide temporary housing for pediatric cancer patients and their families in a strong, supportive, and caring environment which encourages and nurtures the development of child-to-child and parent-to-parent support systems.
Tonilynn Taranto, New York Red Bulls community relations manager, acknowledged Kean’s value due to their desire to help the community.
“Kean is a fantastic partner because of their commitment to the community,” Taranto said.
Kean and the Red Bulls announced a multi-year partnership earlier this year on March 23. When the deal was disclosed on the university’s website, they teased it would provide students with experiential learning and career opportunities.
They also included plans for students to be able to participate in community service projects with the organization. These community service projects are appreciated by students and do not go unnoticed.
Nikye Jennings-Jackson, a senior computer science major, let it be known that he values these events and the opportunity to participate in them was a contributing factor to his decision to attend Kean.
“Kean has a lot more service events and fundraisers versus a lot of other universities in the area. It’s actually one of the main reasons why I joined Kean,” Jennings-Jackson said.
Susan Figueroa, managing assistant director for the Center for Leadership and Service has an understanding of Kean students and how passionate they are about helping their communities.
“The Kean student isn’t a student who looks at themselves as something separate from the community. They are the community,” Figueroa said.
Figueroa believes that Kean students feel something when they volunteer and are participating in these activities because they have a deeper connection to the work they are doing.
“For Kean students volunteering is a way of life. They’re not participating to learn something. Kean students are participating because they feel something,” Figueroa said. “They’re interested in the impact.”
Lindsay Capehart, Ronald Mcdonald House volunteer coordinator let it be known that families and kids in Ronald Mcdonald House can be brought joy from acts of kindness like these.
“You’ll see some kids up on their toes going through the bags trying to figure out which one they want bartering their siblings. That brings them a lot of joy and comfort to know that the community is rallying behind them,” Capehart said.
This community service project is among the first chances for students to collaborate with the Red Bulls. Their partnership with Kean is bringing many opportunities for students including a mentorship program beginning this semester.
The program was developed to match undergraduate students from specific majors with a professional mentor from the team who works in their chosen field and can provide valuable guidance and career support.