JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – He's known for the work he does on the football field with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but on Wednesday, Tom Coughlin was honored for what he's doing off the field.
Mayor Lenny Curry proclaimed Sept. 5 as Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Day. For more than 20 years, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund foundation has supported local children battling cancer with financial, emotional and practical support for their families.
As Wednesday's celebrations kicked off at City Hall, 18-year-old Isabelle Scott played the harp. Isabelle was diagnosed in January with leukemia while going through the audition process for a college music program.
She continued to practice the harp while undergoing chemotherapy earlier this year at Wolfson Children's Hospital.
Isabelle is now in remission and performed at the ceremony celebrating Jay Fund, a foundation that supported her and her family through her cancer fight.
"It feels special to be able to offer what I have to the people who have offered what they have to me," said Isabelle, who has been accepted to the music program at Converse College in South Carolina.
To date, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund has raised $9.8 million to support more than 5,000 families and children, such as 13-year-old Kash Addy. Despite several surgeries for brain cancer, Kash keeps a positive attitude.
"It's cancer. It's not something a kid should have; I think it's funny. I can make it not so sad and funny to people," Kash said.
His mother admits it has been difficult.
"There's been times that you don't know how you're going to pay your mortgage," Miranda Fish, Kash's mother, said, crying.
She said support from the Jay Fund has allowed her family to focus on what's important.
"He's the most important thing -- making sure he's well and being able to be there for him," Fish said.
Coughlin, the mayor and representatives from Wolfson Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Specialty Care attended the ceremony.
Dozens of families impacted by childhood cancer were also invited to the ceremony. The foundation gives hope for the future.
The ceremony kicked off a day full of events supporting the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, which was created in 1996 in honor of Jay McGillis, who played for the Boston College Eagles when Coughlin served as head coach. McGillis passed away eight months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Below are some of the businesses and organizations hosting an Impact Player Event on Sept. 5 to help celebrate Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Day:
| Location | Activity | Time | Address |
| Beyou Jewelry | 25% of sales and Sip & Shop at Drift Boutique | 5 to 8 p.m. | 217 1st Street, Neptune Beach |
| Bono's Bar-B-Q | 5% of sales donated | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 10645 Philips Highway |
| Bottlenose Brewing | 20% of house beer sales will be donated | 4 to 8 p.m. | 9700 Deer Lake Court |
| Culhane's Irish Pub | $10 donation for Trivia Night which includes one drink | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | 967 Atlantic Blvd., |
| Drift Boutique | 15% of sales | 5 to 8 p.m. | 217 1st Street, Neptune Beach |
| Enjoy Fitness | Morning Class - $20 suggested donation to participate | 9:15 a.m. | Patton Park, 2850 Hodges Blvd. |
| Enjoy Fitness | Evening Class - $20 suggested donation to participate | 6 p.m. | Baymeadows Regional Park, |
| GORUCK | 50% of sales donated when you use the coupon code JAYFUNDDAY50 on anything on GORUCK.com (Events, Gear, etc.) | All Day | Online – GORUCK.com |
| Green Room Brewery | 20% of house beer sales will be donated | 4 to 8 p.m. | 228 3rd Street North |
| Kanine Social | 10% of sales donated | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 580 College Street |
| Kendra Scott | Sweets, sips and 20% of sales donated | 5 to 8 p.m. | St. Johns Town Center |
| Lilly Pulitzer | 10% of sales donated | 4 to 7 p.m. | St. Johns Town Center |
| Southern Grounds | 10% of sales donated | 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 200 1st Street, Neptune Beach |
| Stella & Dot – Tricia Boleky | 15% of all sales | All Day | Online |
| sweetFrog in Jacksonville Beach | 25% of sales donated if customer mentions the Jay Fund Day | Noon to 10 p.m. | 1094 3rd Street North, Jacksonville Beach |
| table1 | 25% of sales donated | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 330 AIA North |
| Teal Towel | 100% of the day's sales donated | All Day |
For more details about Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Day and how to support the foundation, visit tcjayfund.org/jayfundday.