Seton Hall Pirates Visit 9/11 Memorial Site Ahead of Tribute Game

NEW YORK, NY -- On Monday, November 27, the Seton Hall men's basketball team, one of four NCAA programs participating in the second annual Never Forget Tribute Classic on December 9 at the Prudential Center, made a special visit to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York.

The players and coaches received instruction from Rhianna Quinn Roddy, Executive Director of the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, and Bill Spade, a Seton Hall graduate (’81) and FDNY first-responder whose son attends Seton Hall via the Fund, and received a guided tour of the memorial and museum.

“It’s great to educate these young men who were three, four, five years old at the time," explained Seton Hall men's basketball coach Kevin Willard, who is in his eighth year with the team. "For them to come here and get a sense of the magnitude of this event I think is the most important thing we’re doing."

Some of the proceeds from the Never Forget Tribute Classic will benefit The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, a non-profit program that was established within the first week of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The Fund seeks to provide education assistance for postsecondary study to financially needy dependents of the families of those who lost loved ones or were permanently disabled as a result of the terrorist attacks, and during the rescue efforts.

"For the team to understand what they’re playing for, how important it is that they’re helping raise money for these families and the fact that they’re honoring all the people that lost their lives in this event," Willard added. "To give them that sense of history is extremely important.”

Since the program's inception 16 years ago, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund has provided $137 million to more than 3,100 recipients. The Fund will continue providing assistance to families through 2030, ensuring a brighter future for even the youngest dependents of those who were lost.

“To see all the fallen ones, the volunteers, and the people that risked their lives to do good, it means a lot," said Seton Hall's senior shooting guard Khadeen Carrington. "We’re just doing a simple thing like playing basketball. Now we know what we’re playing for, a greater cause, and I think it will have an impact on how we play."

Seton Hall will take on Virginia Commonwealth University at 3 p.m. in the opening game of a two-game series. The second matchup, scheduled for 6 p.m., will feature Florida and Cincinnati.

Tickets to either game can be purchased by visiting the Prudential Center's Never Forget Tribute Classic page.