Corpus Christi CYO Basketball Holds Communion Breakfast

On Sunday, Nov. 14, Corpus Christi CYO Basketball program held their annual CYO Communion Breakfast in Fitzgerald Hall after the 11:30 mass at Corpus Christi church.

The 11:30 mass was concelebrated by Fr. Paul Dolan and assisted by the Corpus Christi CYO moderator Deacon John Reinhart. Both Fr. Paul and Deacon John delivered an excellent message to all the players about sportsmanship and team play. The message to the parents was to be supportive and remember that the C in CYO stands for Catholic and Christian values that we, as parents, are examples for our children. As our children go beyond the athletic field, it is the examples that we show our children that they take with them as young adults. A player from each team was involved in the Mass ranging from the prayers of the faithful to bringing up the gifts as well as junior lectors.

After Mass, all CYO members and their families were invited down to Fitzgerald Hall to celebrate our faith and all CYO stands for. A complete breakfast was served consisting of pancakes, french toast, eggs, sausage, bacon and bagels, with coffee, tea and orange juice. Approximately 200 players and their families came down; and according to the feedback that we received, it went quite well.

It truly was a wonderful family event. The coaches and their families set up Fitzgerald Hall early in the morning with balloons and tablecloths, (or course the school colors) got the coffee and tea going and accepted delivery of the food.

A special thanks to the Knights of Columbus Corpus Christi Council #2502 for assisting in the distribution of the breakfast. They are a very special group of gentlemen who have consistently contributed to the success of the CYO program at Corpus Christi. The CYO program and the Knights have developed a very special bond and will continue to assist the other organization whenever possible. A big thank you goes out to Dorothy Rudolph for running the 50/50 raffle. This year the CYO board members Tommy Rudolph, Mike Fragiacomo, Mike Falotico and Keith Gessner voted to honor the women behind the men - they allow us to donate our time to make a mark on all the children in the program. All the female coaches and the male coaches' wives were presented with a corsage as a token of our appreciation.

The CYO program would like to take the time to thank Trustee Linda Fairgrieve and the Mineola Mustang Run Committee for their donation of $1,000. Linda showed her support of the Corpus Christi CYO Basketball program and presented the check at the breakfast and thanked the coaches for the service and the time that they devote to all of the children. She also commented that how, through sports, you learn so much more than just sports, but it provides with an excellent foundation of the person you become.

The CYO board and coaches would like to thank Corpus Christi church and school as well as our pastor Fr. Jim Bowman and Fr. Paul Dolan. Fr. Jim, your support and understanding are very much appreciated. A special thanks to our moderator Deacon John, who attends every meeting, who helps and supports us in every way possible, and for being Tommy Rudolph's sounding board, as well as making the job of coordinator much easier. We would also like to thank Dominick from Dominick's Deli for the excellent food you provided us.