CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – This fall, a group of Harvard Hockey alums banded together for a cause supporting one of their own. A 2003 graduate, Jamie Hagerman Phinney's son George was born with a congenital brain abnormality that requires he attend a specialized school to support his development.
To help fund the programming, resources and equipment the school needs to provide for its students, it puts on a road race each year, which became a virtual event in 2020 due to the pandemic.
"As with most things Harvard Hockey, you need to say very little in the hopes of an enormous outpouring of love and support" said Phinney. "I sent a few emails with info on the event a couple weeks back and before I knew it, our dear friend and teammate Sally Maloney Duval shared the info with about 30 plus more Harvard Hockey alums in the hopes that we could spread the news even wider. And so we did, or actually, they did."
While Phinney usually aims to raise $1,000 each year for the school, Team Georgie now tops the leaderboard having raised over $7,900 to date (Oct. 20).
"Harvard Hockey has been and will always be the team that I compare all others" added Phinney. "The best part is that you didn't even have to play with everyone to feel that connection to HH. What being on this team has taught me is that it has never been about hockey. Hockey is what we did, it is what brought us together, what united us in that locker room, but when the final buzzer sounded for all of us which it will for everyone someday, what really truly matters is the team you carry with you into the hardest challenges of life."
In 2019, a number of former teammates participated in-person as the 5k coincided with the Harvard Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and it was a no-brainer to support the cause again in 2020. "Georgie is an awesome little kid and he has benefited tremendously from the Professional Center for Child Development" said Lauren McAuliffe '04. "Every time I see him, he has made gains with his physical and verbal capabilities. The amount of love that [Jamie] and her husband Brian have for him is overwhelming… To be a part of Harvard Hockey means sometimes getting an invite to a formal affair, to wine and dine with your old teammates and celebrate their legacy in Harvard Athletics history. It also means being there for your teammates to let them know they are seen, they are loved, they are supported, and that will never change."
The Professional Center for Child Development is dedicated to providing children, of all abilities, with a solid foundation for life-long learning through our educational programs, with the support from our highly-skilled professionals. The Trot for Special Tots has run for 28 consecutive years with the 2020 edition marking the first virtual event.
(group photo taken at 2019 event)
