POUGHKEEPSIE, New York- The Marist Women's Volleyball team adopted two young ladies in conjunction with the Friends of Jaclyn foundation on Wednesday Evening. 
 
The honorees for the evening were 9-year-old Gabby Meikle who is battling pediatric cancer and her sister 12-year-old Emma Meikle. The sisters were joined by their family and founder Jaclyn Murphy who began the foundation in 2005. Jaclyn graduated from Marist College in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Communications.
 

Jaclyn's Comments:

" It was great having Gabby adopted tonight, especially being an alumni and having Marist embrace my foundation. I feel very proud because Marist is known for giving back and to have them give back to my program was awesome! It was a great experience tonight and each one is different but since the pandemic, it feels really nice to be back interacting with the children and the teams again." 
 
"The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life for children battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers and to raise awareness through their Adopt-A-Child, Safe on the Sidelines and Guardian Angel Programs. This is done by pairing the afflicted child and their siblings with local high school and college sports teams, campus clubs, and arts programs in their community. "

Coach Byron's Comments:

"We are so excited to add Gabby and Emma Meikle to our Red Fox Volleyball family. Having met them briefly, I can attest they are both tough, strong, and vibrant people. I want to thank the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for connecting us, and I look forward to a wonderful partnership with the Meikle's."