FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of Regis Athletics Communications
WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College women's basketball program kicked off Regis Fest Saturday with a special ceremony, welcoming Brooke Swallow of Framingham, Mass., to the team during a Draft Day celebration co-sponsored by Team IMPACT.
Brooke, an eight-year-old courageously battling a neurological disorder, occupied the center seat at the head table during the morning ceremony. Her mother Amy sat next to her, and the rest of Brooke's family was in attendance along with the entire Regis Pride women's basketball team, members of their families visiting them for Regis Fest weekend, team mentor Erin Wisniewski, and Dr. Laura Bertonazzi, Dean of Undergraduate Enrollment and Retention.
Angela Santa Fe, beginning her seventh season as head coach of the Regis College women's basketball team, told the audience that the team selected Brooke, in part, "for her tenacity and for giving the best high-fives." Junior Kasey Britton-Doucette (New Boston, N.H.) and sophomore Arie Searcy (Santa Rosa, Calif.) also spoke during the presentation, saying that they believed Brooke was that final person the program needed to go all the way this season.
Brooke then signed a Team IMPACT Letter of Intent to join the Pride program for the next two years, although Coach Santa Fe said that no matter what, Brooke "will always be a part of this team." Brooke added her name to a ball signed by the entire team and received a #1 Pride home jersey.
Through Team IMPACT's program at Division III Regis College, Brooke will become an official member of the women's basketball team. As a team member, Brooke will attend Pride practices, games, team dinners, events, and more. She will also have a locker name plate made for her, and she will be listed on the Regis women's basketball roster throughout the season.
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston, Mass., that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,800 children with more than 600 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 55,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team. Throughout the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie, and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency, and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.