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March Madness, Graduation Rates & Lifting Spirits - Mar 20, 2008
posted by: Josh
• At around 11:30, I am headed to Pizza Hut, where I will order a large meat-lovers stuffed crust pizza. I will bring it back to my office, turn on March Madness on Demand and enjoy slice after slice of goodness as I begin watching the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. • Anybody have predictions for upsets today? I think the Xavier-Georgia game will be intriguing and I'm fully on the Michael "I'm A" Beasley train. How about Cornell in a stunner over Stanford? • The New York Times ran a story this morning about Cornell 7-footer Jeff Foote, who transferred out of St. Bonaventure on the recommendation of his mother. A nurse at Arnot Ogden Medical Center, Wanda Foote witnessed the Cornell team come visit teammate Khaliq Gant after he dislocated two vertebrate in his neck in a January 2006 practice. Wanda was so impressed with the Cornell players, she suggested her son transfer to the Ivy League school, and the move has benefited both parties. • The women's tournament doesn't begin until Saturday, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate some outstanding teams in the field today. Twelve teams in the tournament boast perfect graduation rates for the 1997-2001 cohorts. The schools are Tennessee, Bucknell, Marist, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Robert Morris, San Diego, Syracuse, Texas and Vanderbilt. • I received a call yesterday from Donald Siclari, who wanted to share a story about Maddie Festa, a 12-year-old softball player from Connecticut. Last month, Maddie and her mother were on their way to the veterinarian, when they were struck from behind by a pickup truck. Maddie's mother was killed in the accident and the 12-year-old is still in intensive care at Bridgeport Hospital. Donald's own daughter Trisha suffered similar injuries in an automobile accident in 2005, but has recovered to play college softball. Trisha is now serving as a mentor and inspiration to Maddie as the youngster battles to get back on her feet and on the softball field. Donald has started a project asking folks from NCAA schools and professional teams to send cards with well wishes to Maddie. He is hoping the cards will be signed by team members with some words of support. I'm going to send my card this afternoon and I urge you all to do the same. Here's the address: "Get Well Maddie Festa" 
CommentsHi. Bridgeport Hospital has a great service that you can use to send email messages to patients. They get delivered same day (week days), and, of course, everyone loves to get mail. Log onto www.bridgeporthospital.com, and on the right you'll see "Send a CheerGram to a Patient." Maddie is now at home in a wheelchair undergoing daily PT. She is doing well but has a long road ahead of her. My wife, Phyllis, and daughter, Trisha, went to see Maddie last week and a nice bond seems to have developed between the girls and Phyllis was able to answer many questions for Maddie’s dad. I am so thankful to Josh for posting the story on this site. Post a Comment |
  
Sox-Yankees happens 18 times a year; this is Figgy's second major league start in four years. Always take the chance to see something you've never seen before.
- Adam
   
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