Sports
Sitori Tanin & Parker Van Buren Aid Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Loyola student-athletes Parker Van Buren & Sitori Tanin discuss their joint project to raise funds for Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.
Loyola University student-athletes Parker Van Buren and Sitori Tanin are doing something really important. Despite being star athletes, their joint project doesn't involve sports.
Grad student Sitori is a forward on the women's basketball squad, a team I have covered for several years. Sitori has averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over her great career. I look for Sitori to have a career year this season, which starts in late October.
Parker heads into his fourth season on the volleyball court. Last season, he had a .364 hitting percentage (ninth in the nation), 402 kills and averaged 4.28 per set. Volleyball season starts in early January and I plan on covering the action.
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That's a short version of their athletic bios, but it's what they are doing off the court which we were discussing. In 2022, Sitori's brother Elliott was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Handling it like a champ, Elliott has remained strong and positive.
Inspired by student-athletes using NIL to give back, Parker and Sitori wanted to do the same. The end result is fundraising by way of three really cool tshirt designs. One features Sitori in her basketball pose. One features Parker in action. One features both together. I love the designs. They show their personalities, rather than simple, generic designs. I expect to see a lot of these shirts on campus and hopefully off campus, too. I have placed my order already.
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Doctors don't know what causes Crohn's, nor is there a cure, yet. Parker and Sitori are doing their part to raise awareness and funds for research. Crohn's will not be cured over night, but actions like these bring a cure one step closer.
You can get your shirts and support the cause by going to Loyola's NIL store or the Instagram pages for Parker, Sitori or Loyola NIL.
Thank you to Parker and Sitori for their time and consideration and for their efforts for a great cause. They are two fantastic athletes, but even better people. I hope you'll join me in supporting their cause (plus the shirts really do look cool).
