In what has become a yearly tradition for the College of Staten Island baseball program, the team gathered for an event far removed from the diamond in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.  The entire lot of Dolphins met with Staten Islander and boxing great Teddy Atlas to deliver hundreds of turkeys to needy organizations and families as part of the annual Doctor Theodore A. Atlas Foundation’s Turkey Give-Away.  The annual event helps bring complete turkey Thanksgiving dinners to almost 1,000 area families in need.

“The Atlas Foundation is a tremendous organization that works year-round with local families and to be involved with them with an event like this is very rewarding,” said Head Coach Mike Mauro, who organizes the event each year with Mr. Atlas. “Community service is something our program is proud of and something that defines us as a team.  To be able to partner with local organizers and for a cause like this is special.  Many of our athletes are fortunate enough to have a warm home and dinner to celebrate the holidays.  This is our chance to spread that feeling to others.”

Members of the team and coaching staff were in West Brighton throughout the morning as they unloaded two trucks full of Thanksgiving fixings, including turkeys, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and much more. In all, the foundation was able to give away nearly a thousand meals.

Many other local businesses and markets support the cause as well, including Richmond County Savings Foundation, The Office of the Borough President, Met Foods, Fairway Market, and Western Beef, just to name a few.

The Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation is a Staten Island-based community service organization that provides financial, legal and emotional support to individuals and organizations in need, and focuses particularly on the needs of children. It was founded in 1997 by boxing trainer and commentator, Teddy Atlas, in order to honor the memory of his father. In the spirit of Dr. Atlas, who provided free medical care to those who could not afford it and made house calls to give personal care to his patients until he was 80 years old, the Foundation has attempted since its inception to ease the burden of the less fortunate among us. And it accomplishes this in a very human way, in a way which preserves the dignity of the people it helps.