release courtesy of www.ecac-sida.com
PITTSBURGH, PA – ECAC-SIDA recently concluded a banner 2012 workshop in Pittsburgh, PA. The 58-year old organization, which is comprised of East Coast Athletic Communications professionals, had over 170 workshop participants at the Renaissance Inn in downtown Pittsburgh from June 4-8.
As a part of the yearly workshop, the organization has a two-prong philanthropic initiative designed to give a sizable donation to a charity in the location of the workshop. This year, the organization donated over $5,000 to the Maggie Dixon Foundation. The foundation was created in the memory of former Army Black Knights head women’s basketball coach Maggie Dixon, whose life was cut tragically short by heart arrhythmia in the spring of 2006. Her passing came just two months after she led the Black Knights to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Maggie Dixon Foundation is a national non-profit organization with the mission to prevent sudden cardiac death due to acquired and inherited heart disorders in children, adolescents and adults. According to C.A.R.E., a quarter of a million Americans will collapse from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) each year. Every year, 7,000 U.S. children are stricken from sudden cardiac arrest. Heart screening programs can identify as many as 90 percent of those individuals at risk for heart arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
The donation to the Maggie Dixon Foundation is the largest in the history of the ECAC-SIDA organization, which has raised nearly $40,000 for various charities over the last 12 years. Money is raised through a raffle and silent auction that is held throughout the week of the workshop.
ECAC-SIDA president
Geoff Hassard from SUNY-Oneonta is proud of how the workshop attendees supported the record-breaking benevolence efforts.
“Once again, our membership has shown that they are willing to contribute in a charitable way,” states Hassard. “It is amazing the generosity that our membership has shown throughout the years and, to surpass $5,000, is a true testament of how much care our members have for those in need. I cannot thank them enough and I am proud of ECAC-SIDA."
Long-time ECAC-SIDA Charity Chair
Bob Beretta from Army was blown away by the willingness of members to be so free with their donations.
"The membership of this organization never fails to amaze me. They are so motivated to help advance the lives of others less fortunate than themselves. For this small group to come together over a three-day period and raise a record amount of $5,000 for our charity initiatives speaks volumes about the character of these professionals. We are thrilled to be able to donate the entire amount to the Maggie Dixon Foundation this year, the single largest donation in the history of ECAC-SIDA. I cannot thank our members enough for their continued generosity."
The idea to support the Maggie Dixon Foundation came from the Pittsburgh Workshop organizing committee chaired by Carnegie Mellon’s Mark Fisher and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Executive Director Joe Onderko in conjunction with Beretta, who worked with Dixon at Army during her time as the head women’s basketball coach.