The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation is marking 31 years of support for families tackling pediatric cancer with a Pushupathon that updates the lift-a-thon that started it all.
Jay McGillis played for Coughlin at Boston College and was 20 when leukemia took his life. His teammates organized a lift-a-thon and raised $50,000 for the McGillis family. That effort gave Tom Coughlin and his late wife, Judy Coughlin, a reason to keep showing up, and it remains the spirit behind the foundation that still carries Jay’s name.
From September 28 through October 2, media teams of five in New York and New Jersey will compete against one another, as will outlets in Jacksonville. Each day, a team captain will add the group’s push-ups and log the total in an online
portal. The winning newsroom in each market earns bragging rights and coffee and donuts delivered by Coughlin.
Outlets that have not signed up can email info@tcjayfund.org. Anyone outside the media can join the community pushupathon at the Jay Fund Foundation website.
The contest is meant to be fun. The purpose is serious. Families facing childhood cancer do not get a day off from doctors, treatments, missed work, groceries, and rent.
In 2025, the Jay Fund provided $5,063,634 in assistance to 826 families, including $2,225,344 for 422 families in New York and New Jersey and $2,838,290 for 404 families in Jacksonville. 59 percent of that aid went to financial support. The foundation paid an average of 13 bills every day, most often for housing, food, and transportation, and delivered emotional support to 473 families through 112 events and experiences.
No family that sought help was turned away. 97 percent of families said the Jay Fund helped them feel less alone, and 98 percent said it reduced their stress.
31 years later, the mission has not changed. The Jay Fund still helps keep food on the table, the lights on, and the rent paid, and it still works so families know they are not alone. It takes a team to tackle pediatric cancer, and the Pushupathon is a show of that support.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Jay Fund Pushupathon puts media muscle behind families tackling pediatric cancer
