St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Men's Soccer to Participate in Benefit
3/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
The soccer program, like most of the athletic teams on the Queens campus, also gets involved in the community, which is part of the mission of the University.
On Friday, April 1, the team will volunteer at the Stephen Capano Supplemental Needs Trust Benefit held at St. William the Abbot School in Seaford. The benefit will run from 7:30 p.m. to midnight and is $20 for adults and children under 12 are admitted for $5.
The event will raise money for Stephen Capano, the uncle of a former St. John's University student - Megan Guerriero - who is friends with team members and was a work-study student in the athletic department as an undergraduate. Guerriero, a 2004 alum, is the coordinator for the benefit. "My Uncle Stephen is a very special person to me and to the many others whose lives he has touched," tells Guerriero. "I cannot begin to express how truly thankful I am to have so many wonderful people in the St. John's community support him and my Aunt Deirdre during this time."
The men's soccer team decided to volunteer for the night after learning more about it from senior Matt Groenwald, who is serving on the committee's board. "I have gotten to know Stephen and his wife (Deirdre) really well over the last two years, which makes it so special to be working on this benefit." Groenwald said. "This is especially so, because they continually put others before themselves."
Capano was born with Atrial Septic Defect and Tri-Cuspid Malformation of the heart (hole in heart). Doctors said he would not live past his 10th birthday. He was also born with glaucoma and became legally blind in his early 20s. Now 43 years old, Capano has had 12 pacemakers - the average person has only 1 or 2 - and 4 open-heart surgeries. The heavy trauma on his body has left a great deal of scar tissue and because of the number of surgeries, Capano's Transplant Team puts him in an extremely high-risk category. He has been waiting on Columbia Presbyterian's Heart Transplant List for almost 6 years but has gotten progressively worse since August. His next surgery must be for a transplant; otherwise, he will not survive.
Family and friends of the Capanos are holding the benefit to help cover related medical costs for Stephen's impending heart transplant and other expenses, such as transportation to Columbia, for his wife, Deirdre, who is blind. Both endure the financial hardship that comes with Stephen's illness and some of their medical costs are not covered by insurance, making the challenges for the Capanos even more steep.
"Stephen and Deirdre have taught me how to live an authentically successful life. They are two of the most genuine people I have ever known," tells Groenwald "It's amazing to see how much strength they have, but at the same time, it shows you that you can't go through life on your own."
Groenwald and former captain, Chris Corcoran, were active in the process to help set up the benefit with Guerriero. As the planning stages moved along, the board realized they would need help to run the event. Groenwald spoke to St. John's Head Coach Dave Masur and his assistants - Marc Reeves and Erick Davis - and the decision was made that the whole team would pitch in that night.
"I'm really excited that I can include all of my teammates," Groenwald said of his work on the April 1 benefit, which kicks off Organ Donation Awareness Month. "Stephen and his wife have been big supporters of our team during my time here and this is just a little way for me, and my team, to thank him."
"My uncle is home now, but I called him at Columbia this past September during a game to see how he was doing," tells Guerriero. "The first words out of his mouth were, "'How is Chris (Corcoran) feeling? Did Matt score a goal yet and has Andre made any good plays?"' He might have been lying in a hospital bed but exemplified yet another way how his strength inspires people to embrace life by refusing to allow life's struggles to interfere."
If you would like more information on the Stephen Capano Supplemental Needs Trust Benefit, or feel that you can help in any way, please contact Megan Guerriero at 516-680-2938, or at StephenCapanoSNT@aol.com.
