THE TOM COUGHLIN JAY FUND FOUNDATION

The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation was created in honor of Jay McGillis. Jay was a special young man who developed leukemia while a member of Coach Coughlin’s team at Boston College. In the eight months between Jay’s diagnosis and the day he lost his battle with cancer, the Coughlin family saw first hand the physical, emotional, and financial strains the illness caused the McGillis Family. After going through the tragic events with Jay’s family, Coach Coughlin vowed that if he ever had the chance, he would create a way to help families with children battling cancer.

Coach Coughlin kept his vow and started this foundation to be there in Jay’s honor. For over 25 years, the Jay Fund has evolved in size and scope. We have helped over 5,000 families and given away over $15 million in grants helping thousands of families in Northeast Florida and the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Area.

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

With more than 100,000 survivors and activists, we are the world’s largest, most progressive grassroots network of people fighting to end breast cancer forever. As the face and voice of the global breast cancer movement… We are local activists in more than 120 cities and communities, mobilizing more than 1.7 million friends and neighbors each year through events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Series. We are advocates at the local, state and federal level, fighting for the screening and treatment programs that save lives and the research that brings us closer to the cures. We are global citizens working with local health groups around the world and through komen.org to help millions of women in nearly 200 countries overcome the social, cultural and economic barriers to breast health and treatment

In 1980, Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became the Susan G. Komen® organization and the beginning of a global movement. What was started with $200 and a shoebox full of potential donor names has now grown into the world’s largest nonprofit source of funding for the fight against breast cancer. To date, we’ve invested more than $2.9 billion in groundbreaking research, community health outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 60 countries. Our efforts helped reduce deaths from breast cancer by 40 percent between 1989-2016 and we won’t stop until our promise is fulfilled.

Project Homeless Connect

Project Homeless Connect demonstrates how the San Diego community comes together to provide needed resources, and that many resources and services are available for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said. It is too soon to draw any conclusions from the numbers today. However, even as we make progress in addressing homelessness in the City of San Diego, it is important to continue to provide opportunities like this to connect San Diegans experiencing homelessness with the help they need to get back on their feet.

Make a Wish Foundation

Tens of thousands of volunteers, donors and supporters advance the Make-A-Wish®️ vision to grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a critical illness. In the U.S. and its territories, a wish is granted every 34 minutes. A wish can be that spark that helps these children believe that anything is possible and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses. This one belief guides us and inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve.

Our History

For children diagnosed with critical illnesses, a wish come true can be a crucial turning point in their lives. A wish can be that spark that helps these children believe that anything is possible and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses. This impact is why we are driven to make every one of these wishes come true.

Chris in uniform
Chris Greicius, 1980

How It All Started: Chris' Wish

Make-A-Wish traces its inspiration to Christopher James Greicius, an energetic 7-year-old boy battling leukemia who wishes to be a police officer. In 1980, his Phoenix community came together to make his wish come true. Little did Chris know that his wish would create a movement that would transform millions of lives.

Today, Make-A-Wish has granted hundreds of thousands of life-changing wishes to children battling critical illnesses. Wishes that give families hope through dark times, strength to persevere and experiences that forever change their lives.

Thank you to his mother, Linda Pauling, the Greicius family and the founders for their tireless dedication to our mission.