http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/100510aab.htmlSTJ head coach Steve Lavin and BTIG's Steve Starker presented a $20,000 gift to the St. John's Bread and Life Soup Kitchen on Tuesday. Lavin and his wife, Mary Jarou, made a multi-year, $35,000 pledge to the soup kitchen covering the coach's first six years on the sidelines at St. John's.
"What's clear is the collaborative spirit of so many, working to champion a great cause here at St. John's Bread and Life," said Lavin, who joined Jarou, Starker, Bread and Life Executive Director Anthony Butler, St. John's Director of Athletics Chris Monasch, and Brooklyn-born Red Storm senior forward Rob Thomas at the gift presentation. "One of the many aspects that attracted Mary and I to St. John's is the commitment to the University's mission of service, and the curriculum really being taught on the front lines to our students in terms of serving others."
Lavin joined sports and screen stars in teaming up with BTIG during its eighth "Commissions for Charity" Trading Day on Thursday, May 6, at BTIG's midtown offices. BTIG, an institutional broker dealer specializing in trading and related brokerage services, donated trading commission profits earned that day to children's charities. On May 6, 200 million shares were traded and BTIG contributed more than $4 million to some 130 charities.
On Tuesday, St. John's Bread and Life received
$10,000 from BTIG, and a matching donation from St. John's new head men's basketball coach and his wife. In addition, Lavin and Jarou are pledging to contribute $5,000 to Bread and Life each year during Lavin's tenure at St. John's.
In summary, the Lavins made a $35,000 commitment to Bread and Life on Tuesday, covering Coach Lavin's first six seasons with the Red Storm.
"On behalf of BTIG, we would like to thank Coach Lavin, and we look forward to partnering with him and St. John's Bread and Life in the future," said Starker. "Our Commissions for Charity Day increases in popularity each year with more celebrities in attendance and more of our clients significantly increasing their trading volumes to support our chosen charities. We look forward to exciting things in the future."
Back in May, Lavin joined screen stars Michael J. Fox, Matt Dillon and the cast of The Sopranos, as well as sports celebrities Joe Girardi, Reggie Jackson and Nick Swisher of the New York Yankees, Johan Santana of the New York Mets, Tom Coughlin and Justin Tuck of the New York Giants, Sean Avery of the New York Rangers, former New York Knick Alan Houston, tennis legend John McEnroe, NBC 4's Bruce Beck and others as part of the Commissions for Charity day.
The Red Storm men's basketball team has been serving meals to thousands at St. John's Bread and Life for 13-straight seasons around the Thanksgiving holiday. This year a Christmastime visit is planned, as the team will be traveling for the 2010 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout from Nov. 22-27.
"St. John's Bread and Life relies on the support of St. John's University," said Butler. "This is another example of how St. John's takes that Vincentian spirit - that spirit of giving, that spirit of enabling people to take care of their own lives - and manifests it in the real world."