AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College Division of Athletics is pleased to announce that it has entered into a formal two-year partnership with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization that tackles the emotional trauma and social isolation experienced by children facing serious and chronic illnesses. 

Through the partnership, Daemen has committed to maintaining or increasing its current level of Team IMPACT participation and at least one student-athlete will fulfill a Team IMPACT fellowship position on campus. In addition, Team IMPACT will provide development opportunities for student-athletes in the areas of diversity and inclusion, advocacy and professional development. The Daemen Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be heavily involved in the partnership, and Daemen officials will work with the Team IMPACT marketing team on several co-branded promotions throughout the year. 

"We are very grateful for the opportunity to expand our relationship with Team IMPACT through this unique partnership," said Hailey Dietrich, student-athlete success and community engagement coordinator at Daemen. "As much as we are making a difference in the lives of the Team IMPACT children who join our teams, they are helping our student-athletes to develop skills in empathy, leadership, and compassion. We are excited for what the future holds." 

In recent years, Daemen has hosted Team IMPACT children in the sports of men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball and men's soccer. As recently as this past spring, Team IMPACT children were drafted onto the Daemen men's volleyball and women's volleyball teams. Draft days typically consist of a formal signing ceremony after which the child, to the greatest extent possible, becomes an active member of the team, attending games, practices and other team functions. 

"Team IMPACT is thrilled to have Daemen College join our elite group of partner schools, and we are already inspired by their incredible work with our program thus far," said Ryan Irwin, Team IMPACT's Northeast Executive Director. "Daemen's entire community has embraced our mission from the start, and their leadership has made Team IMPACT a key pillar of the student-athlete experience and campus culture. This partnership will allow us to work together to spread awareness in New York communities with the goal of reaching more children and families who could benefit from Team IMPACT's therapeutic program. We are excited to share the inspirational stories and lifelong bonds which Wildcat student-athletes create with their new teammates, bringing joy and even more pride to the Team IMPACT and Daemen College communities."  

About Team IMPACT: We provide outcomes that change lives. For a healthy child, there are a number of systems through their family, school or larger community through which they are able to find support and socialization. For children living with a chronic or life-threatening illness, many of those systems are either unavailable or can have a negative impact. By providing a safe, supportive and encouraging environment for a child and their family to connect with a college athletic team and local campus community, Team IMPACT can fill the void left when traditional support systems are lacking or have negative implications.

To learn more about Team IMPACT, or if you know a child who could potentially benefit from the organization, please visit: www.teamimpact.org.

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.