SUNY Jamestown Community College students enrolled in Sport in Society this fall collected more than 100 autographed items from professional athletes, Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and coaches to support the nonprofit organization Autographs for a Cure.
Through mailed outreach efforts, students received autographed cards, photographs, and index cards from notable sports figures including Barry Sanders, Shaquille O’Neal, Goose Gossage, Steve Largent, Joe Theismann, James Lofton, and Steve Tasker, among many others.
to support Autographs for a Cure.
The project is a hands-on component of the Sport in Society course, which examines how sport can act as a catalyst for social and societal change. Autographs for a Cure sells donated memorabilia to raise funds for cancer research and to support families currently affected by cancer.
Since 2020, JCC’s Sport in Society students have contributed more than 500 autographs, valued between $3,000 and $7,500, to Autographs for a Cure and Signatures for Soldiers, two nonprofit organizations focused on service, advocacy, and positive social impact.
This marks only the second time a class has surpassed 100 autographs in a semester, said Jacob Hordych, JCC’s assistant professor of Sport Management who leads the project each year.
“I am extremely proud of this year’s class,” Hordych added. “Students embraced the project early in the semester and were genuinely excited as autographs began arriving in the mail. Knowing their efforts will support such a critically important cause, one that has directly or indirectly touched nearly everyone, adds tremendous value to the learning experience and reinforces the powerful role sport can play in society.”