The Bronx’s own Cardinal Hayes High School football team made history in December when they won the New York State Catholic High School State Championship. Cardinal Hayes became the first New York City school to take home the prestigious AAA title in the nearly 50 years the title has been offered.
The team overcame obstacle after obstacle on their road to victory: a lack of a home field, poor field conditions and a fire that claimed team equipment during the season.
“The amazing thing about this season was the resilience shown by the young men,” head coach C.J. O’Neil said. “They faced adversity throughout this whole season, and they just kept grinding toward their goal and became state champions.”
In spite of the season’s challenges, Cardinal Hayes came out on top. Now, Bank of America is making a $50,000 donation to the victorious football program and will be leading financial literacy training for the team through the bank’s Better Money Habits program.
The Better Money Habits program, offered in both English and Spanish to millions every year, touches on topics like budgeting, saving, retirement planning, owning a home and more.
Fernando Nuñez, a Bank of America region executive, graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1999 and is proud to recognize his alma mater through Bank of America’s donation and its training resources.
“Watching the Cardinal Hayes High School football team beat the odds to win the state championship was inspiring and personal for me,” Nuñez said. “As a Cardinal Hayes High School graduate, the values, connections and lessons I learned as a student have stayed with me throughout my life and into my professional career.”
“Now, as a region executive at Bank of America, it is beyond rewarding to help usher in a new chapter for the football program by ensuring that these student-athletes have the resources and financial literacy they need to succeed on and off the field,” he continued. “I am proud to be part of this and I look forward to seeing the students at my alma mater continue to reach new heights.”
O’Neil, Cardinal Hayes President Michael Carey and other staff members are in the early stages of deciding what the $50,000 will be used for, though O’Neil says the funds will be used in a way that directly benefits the students.
“The best thing about Cardinal Hayes is that it’s money well spent,” O’Neil said. “The proof is in the pudding here. The state championship isn’t the first success story written by Cardinal Hayes High School. We pride ourselves on the ability to be a change agent in young men’s lives in the city, and a donation to Cardinal Hayes is a donation that’s going to directly affect the course of young men’s lives. We couldn’t be more thankful to Bank of America and we’ll see what the next challenge we can attack is.”
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