Berkeley College Students, Athletes and Alumni Embrace Spirit of Giving with Toy Donations
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Senior Director, Communications and External Relations
973-200-1099
KME@BerkeleyCollege.edu
Annual Toy Drive Supports St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and Toys for Tots
Photo Caption: Members of the Berkeley College Men’s Soccer team donate items during the College’s annual toy drive in support of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ, and Toys for Tots. Pictured (L to R) are student-athletes Darwin Medrano of Newark, NJ; Andre Krzyzanowski of Elizabethport, NJ; David Gil-Aguirre of Kenilworth, NJ; Pierre Fleury of Irvington, NJ; Alexandre Rodrigues of Union, NJ; and Bruno Ferreira, Head Coach.
Contributor: Stephen Spagnoli, Berkeley College Athletics
Share the News: @BerkeleyCollege #BerkeleyCares
The Berkeley College community embraced the spirit of giving, collecting 400 toys for children in need as part of its annual December giving initiative. The College’s toy drive supported Toys for Tots and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ.
The initiative was organized by the Berkeley College Office of Student Development and Campus Life, the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the Alumni Association. The Berkeley College Athletics Department also strongly supported the initiative, with many student-athletes making multiple donations to the effort.
“The word on the back of our warmup shirts is ‘Culture,’ and I feel that part of Berkeley College’s culture has always been to give back to the community,” said Jonathan Pena, Head Coach, Men’s Basketball team. “Our student-athletes were proud to be a part of this initiative, and hopefully we were able to put smiles on the faces of many children this holiday season.”
Photo Captions: (Left) Students at Berkeley College in New York City support the toy drive initiative, spearheaded by the Berkeley College Office of Student Development and Campus Life, the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the Alumni Association. Pictured (L to R) are student-veterans Jonathan Gonzalez of Brooklyn, NY; Nathaniel Petrovick of Brooklyn, NY; and Tatiana Zapata of Newburgh, NY; and student Isabela Baganha of São Paulo, Brazil. (Right) Berkeley College volunteers deliver toy donations at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ; Pictured are staff members from St. Joseph’s with Berkeley College student Adenike Callwood of Roselle, NJ (center); James Marshmon, Director, Student Development and Campus Life, Berkeley College (second from right); and Ariosto Rodriguez, Buildings and Grounds, Berkeley College (far right).
“Our student-athletes put a lot of thought into giving back to the community, and more specifically, the children whose Christmases might be made a little bit better with these donations,” said Candice DeRisi, Head Coach, Women’s Basketball team.
“The Berkeley College Knights take a tremendous amount of pride in giving back to the community and putting smiles on the faces of those less fortunate,” said Bruno Ferreira, Head Coach, Men’s Soccer team. “It is our civic duty to always help people in need.”
Photo Caption: The Berkeley College Alumni Association donates toys to the toy drive during its Holiday Reception, held in December 2023.
The Berkeley College Alumni Association also collected toys during its annual Holiday Reception in December 2023.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 3,500 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for 10 consecutive years. Berkeley College was also ranked among the Best Regional Colleges/Universities in the North in the 2023-2024 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges survey. The website address is https://BerkeleyCollege.edu.
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