The gifts presented to the children were donated by Fordham basketball fans at all men’s and women’s home basketball games prior to Christmas as well as by members of the Athletic Department. This year, the drive was also aided by major contributions from Mt. Carmel Pharmacy and the Paganelli Family. Besides the gifts, the children also received Fordham basketball yearbooks from the student-athletes. “We are so excited to have the team here,” said Patricia Belair, senior vice president of the hospital. “As the parent of a college student, I know how busy their lives can be. So it is so nice when the student-athletes can take time out of their day to spread some cheer.”

“The reach out to the children is a great reflection on the spirit at Fordham University,” said Fordham’s chairman of the board of trustees John Tognino, who is also a vice board chairman at St. Barnabas. “We are all proud to be Rams!”

“The children are always very excited to see the players,” said Nancy Spellman, Executive Director of the Union Community Health Center. “The players were extremely sweet and kind in interacting with the children.”

This is the first visit for the women’s basketball team to St. Barnabas Hospital, after visiting the Union Community Health Center the previous two holiday seasons. Both holiday visits by the women’s and men’s basketball teams are long-standing traditions with the Fordham basketball program in spreading holiday joy to less fortunate youngsters.

“Giving back to the community is a very vital part of Fordham women’s basketball,” notes Andruzzi. “Coaches and players are blessed and it is important for us to give back to those who are not as fortunate. Our players enjoyed going to St. Barnabas Hospital for the first time this afternoon to bring gifts and spend time with so many beautiful children.”

“It means a lot to the players to be able to give back to the community,” said Grasso. “The players love to see the smiles on the faces of the kids as they hand out the presents. I think they enjoy it as much as the children who receive the presents do.”

– Joe DiBari

“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program at a university as academically outstanding and rich with athletic tradition as Fordham,” said Andruzzi, who has more than 25 years of experience in women’s basketball as a player, coach, educator and administrator. “The University’s administration is strongly committed to the women’s basketball program and I am excited about our future. And I am especially pleased to be part of the Atlantic 10 conference, a league with a strong history in women’s basketball.”

Andruzzi, a Staten Island, N.Y., native, got her start as a player on the Queen’s College team that went 22-5 and soared to the No. 2 ranking nationally in 1972-1973. She and her teammates that season were honored in 2004 as the first women’s team to be inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. She graduated from Queens College, part of the City University of New York, with a degree in health education in 1974.

Andruzzi began her coaching career as the head coach at Wagner College. After two years on Grymes Hill, she moved on to East Carolina University, where in her first season she led the Pirates to the school’s only top-20 national ranking, with an 18-11 record. In her fourth year as coach, Andruzzi led the team to its first and only NCAA Tournament appearance. She also coached the program’s first All-American and pioneered a season-ticket program that broke the school’s previous attendance record for men’s and women’s basketball. Her record with the Pirates earned Andruzzi a spot in the East Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.

Prior to her tenure at Seton Hall, Andruzzi served as an assistant coach at Rutgers University, helping the Scarlet Knights recruit one of the nation’s top classes in 2003-2004. She served as the general manager of the American Basketball League’s Philadelphia Rage from 1997 to 2000, and as the executive director of Philadelphia Women’s Basketball 2000, the local organizing committee for the 2000 NCAA Women’s Final Four. Under Andruzzi’s leadership, the Final Four had one of the largest fund-raising campaigns in women’s basketball history, and brought national accolades for the city of Philadelphia.

“We are excited that Cathy Andruzzi has accepted our invitation to join the Rams,” said Frank McLaughlin, Fordham’s executive director of athletics. “She brings a tremendous resume, with experience as a player, teacher, coach and administrator, and we look forward to benefiting from that experience here at Fordham.”