Teammates 4 Life Foundation was Born

The Teammates 4 Life Foundation was founded by four friends from the Fairleigh Dickinson University class of 1978. Jay Jorgensen, Jeff hunt, Steve Makwinski, and Seth Greenberg were college teammates and classmates who became lifelong friends on the campus and basketball court at FDU. So they went their separate ways in life, the friendships they had formed in college remained among their most important relationships.

In December, 2016, they formed the Teammates 4 Life Foundation, in response to the news that two of their college teammates had been diagnosed with cancer. The Teammates 4 Life Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides moral and financial support to former college athletes who are battling cancer. The Foundation provides an initial care package of useful supplies, and weekly inspirational messages. The match those fighting cancer with someone who has been through it, who can provide inspiration, hope, or just a sympathetic ear. They provide the family with assistance in hosting a repast if and when that becomes necessary. They also tailor their support to eh individual needs of the person.

Those who are supported are not limited to basketball players from FDU. Any former college athlete who is facing this diagnosis is eligible for assistance.

Four Guys from the New York Metropolitan Area at FDU

During the winter of 1973-1974, the coaches at Fairleigh Dickinson University were recruiting four high school seniors from the New York metropolitan area. All were highly skilled basketball players from successful high school programs. All had expressed an interest in playing college ball close to home so their parents would be able to attend their games. All four were awarded scholarships to attend and play at FDU. What could not have been known at the time was that these four young men would forge a friendship that would last a lifetime - nearly fifty years and counting.

Jay Jorgensen from John F. Kennedy Memorial High School (Iselin, NJ), Jeff Hunt from Pompton Lakes High School (Pompton Lakes, NJ), Steve Makwinski from Sayreville War Memorial High School (Sayreville, NJ) and Seth Greenberg from John F. Kennedy High School (Plainview, NY) arrived on the Teaneck campus in the fall of 1974. They played at the old gym on the Rutherford campus. All four graduated in 1978 and went on to professional success in different fields, but the ties they formed at FDU still bind them together.