Jordan Sheridan Zapisek has always had a charitable disposition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve always had kind of a philanthropic side to me since high school,\u201d Jordan said.<\/p>\n
A 2013 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, Jordan started her own charity drives while she was in high school. Her Strike Out Hunger Campaign from 2011-13 raised just over $25,000 for the Samaritan Center by collecting donations from her friends and family \u2014 over the school\u2019s objections \u2014 for every strike she threw on the softball team. At St. Lawrence University, where she received a bachelor\u2019s degree in business and communications in 2017, Jordan chaired two Relay for Life events, lead a fundraising campaign for a new building at the Potsdam Children\u2019s Museum and interned at the Make-A-Wish Foundation.<\/p>\n
But the endeavor she\u2019s most proud of \u2014 the nonprofit to which she now dedicates all her time \u2014 came to be in the wake of a cancer diagnosis for her younger brother, Jack.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always wanted to move away and do my own thing, create my own path,\u201d Jordan said, \u201cbut something like that wants you to keep your family together and stay close.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jack\u2019s diagnosis<\/p>\n
Jack was diagnosed May 29, 2014, when he was 15.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe actually played a baseball game two or three days before he was diagnosed and he pitched,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cIt was the best he’s ever pitched.\u201d<\/p>\n
But within a few days, Jack\u2019s joints were so sore he could barely get out of bed. His mother, Kim, took him to the family doctor. Jordan was home from her first year at college; she was at work when she got the call from her mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got a call that I needed to go home,\u201d she said. \u201cMy little sister [Charlie, then 10] came home from school and I was the only one home so I had to tell her, which was really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wouldn\u2019t get any easier. The Sheridans were fortunate to live close to the resources Upstate Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital, so Jack was able to get the best treatment, but treatment was still a grueling process \u2014 one his sisters had no interest in watching.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn’t go to the hospital with him a lot,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cI was more on the phone with my sister, talking to her because she didn’t want to go either. She didn’t want any part of going into the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Jordan felt that she needed to do something more proactive for her brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wanted to do something, start a charity,\u201d said Kim Sheridan. \u201cHer father and I told her no, not at this time. We all needed to put all our focus on his fight for his life. But Jordan continued to plan and dream of a charity she could start sometime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
So while Jack battled leukemia \u2014 he was declared cancer-free in late September of 2017 \u2014 Jordan laid the groundwork for what would ultimately become On My Team16.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On each other\u2019s team<\/p>\n
Jordan describes On My Team16, which she launched in December of 2017, \u00a0as \u201ca fantasy league for charity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to do patients, families, and caregivers\u2026 just like we were touched,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cAnd then our family is huge into sports, so we wanted to tie in that athletic standpoint\u2026 so I really liked like the fantasy league for charity idea and getting a lot of athletes involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan said she a lot of connections between athletes and cancer patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cAthletes and pediatric cancer patients have a lot in common, just with their mentality and how to have a routine and do the same thing every day, and work at the same thing, and be able to make themselves get out of bed because their joints hurt,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cSo I think there’s a lot in common.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given that commonality, Jordan said she didn\u2019t think creating On My Team16 was much of a leap. According to its website, the nonprofit aims to \u201censure no child feels alone in their fight against cancer. The mission is to provide personal comfort and support to pediatric oncology patients, families and caregivers. Every child will know they are a part of something bigger \u2013 part of a team focused on fighting and winning their battle together.\u201d The 16 is the jersey number Jack wore during his baseball career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s kind of cool to witness, watching a professional baseball player come into a 12-year-old\u2019s room and talk to him and or her and just give them motivation or even play video games with them,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cIt’s kind of cool to see that everyone’s real and we all have these things that we like to do no matter who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
The main component of OMT16 is to connect pediatric cancer patients with professional athletes\u2014Jordan played softball, and now that Jack is cancer-free, he\u2019s back on the baseball diamond, as well. Individual or corporate donors can either make single donations or start their own campaigns, but they also have the option to connect them to certain athletes \u2014 the nonprofit Is currently working with Washington Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin, a Cicero-North Syracuse graduate, among others. Previous partners include Alex Tuch, Paschal Chukwu, Tyler Cavanaugh, Anthony Angello and several Fayetteville-Manlius girls\u2019 teams.<\/p>\n
Donors choose the amount they want to give per stat \u2014 say, per strikeout or per goal. At the end of the season, OMT16\u2019s team will tally the results and divide it between pediatric hospitals in Phoenix, Buffalo, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, as we as the local Ronald McDonald House.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to spread our wings a little bit, and get into different hospitals, but also continue to grow here because this is where Jack got treated,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cThis is the doctors and the nurses that took care of him, and all these other kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Making the climb<\/p>\n
While donors support the mission, they can\u2019t support it entirely. Last year OMT16 launched The Climb, which requires participants to either run or walk each floor of the State Tower Building \u2014 a total of 338 stairs. Each participant climbs for a kid with cancer, and on each floor is a kid who has survived the disease, a child fighting cancer or a family member representing a lost fighter. If you\u2019d like to sign up, visit onmyteam16.com or see the sidebar.<\/p>\n
Jordan said The Climb isn\u2019t as hard as some people might fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople sign to climb the 20 flights of stairs in the State Tower Building, and it’s 338 steps, and people really are like, \u2018I can’t do that. I can’t do that,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s just like a 5K or a road race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan said the event, which has become OMT16\u2019s biggest fundraiser, is an \u201cempowering and inspiring event.\u201d She wants the entire community to come out to participate on Nov. 23 to support kids fighting pediatric cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’ll be hugged and want to keep coming back, and that’s what we want,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want the kids to be able to see that. The whole Syracuse community is following them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan said it\u2019s an amazing event to witness. She recalled the inaugural event last year when a wheelchair-bound leukemia patient named Bryce waited with the Onondaga Community College baseball team on the 17th<\/sup> floor to cheer on runners.<\/p>\n \u201cTowards the end of it, he asked the baseball players to help him stand up out of his wheelchair and walk up the last three flights,\u201d Jordan said, \u201cAnd his mom said, \u2019He hasn’t gotten out of his wheelchair in so long. That is so hard to do.\u2019 \u00a0And then his OCC baseball team was like on the sides of him helping him up, and it was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Comforting the afflicted<\/p>\n Once that money is raised, where does it go?<\/p>\n As Jordan said, the goal of OMT16 is to help the families, the patients and the caregivers \u2014 there are other organizations out there working on research.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that I don\u2019t want to [put the money] into research,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cIt’s that I want to do the things that we needed help with when we were going through it.”<\/p>\n Since its inception, OMT16 has donated more than $100,000 to kids and families. Jordan said they\u2019re having to do less outreach as more families come to them for help.<\/p>\n \u201cWe try and do the comfort items,\u201d she said, \u201cgas gift cards and food gift cards and things like that. People like people don’t really think about, and insurance won’t be like, \u2018Oh, here’s $50 for gas.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n There are a few different programs that OMT16:<\/p>\n Socks4Pops<\/strong>: Buy a pair of OMT16 socks, give a pair of fuzzy, comfy socks to a pediatric oncology patient (or, if you\u2019re an athlete, you wear your socks while competing). You will also have the chance to personalize a card to go with the socks to the patient.<\/p>\n Project CARE (Cancer Aid for Resiliency and Empowerment)<\/strong> is designed to help members of my community who are affected by cancer by giving them care packages made with love. This program was created by Ellie Sommers in memory of her father, Tom Sommers, who passed away on May 12, 2015, a mere nine months after his initial diagnosis of Pancreatic cancer. Care packages include items such as snacks, healthy beverages, inspirational signs, journals, and prayer books, trinkets, small games, books, movies, gift cards to local restaurants, and more.<\/p>\n Celebration dinners<\/strong> for children who win their battles against cancer. OMT16 provides gift cards to families to celebrate the victory.<\/p>\n Sporting events<\/strong>: provide tickets to sporting events to children and their families.<\/p>\n In other words, On My Team16 Is determined to help families facing the same path they did.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mom said it the other day, she didn’t realize how many questions other people have, and how nice it is to be there if they have question,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cYou still think about it to this day you’re like, \u2018Oh, my God. Like that could have went way worse.\u2019 And it didn’t. And we’re lucky. So take that positive spin, and give it to someone else who needs it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jordan Sheridan Zapisek has always had a charitable disposition. \u201cI’ve always had kind of a philanthropic side to me since high school,\u201d Jordan said. A 2013 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, Jordan started her own charity drives while she was in high school. Her Strike Out Hunger Campaign from 2011-13 raised just over $25,000 for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[104,100,99],"tags":[1015,1012,1013,1014,421],"class_list":["post-2688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-causes","category-cover-story","category-featured","tag-jack-sheridan","tag-jordan-sheridan","tag-jordan-zapisek","tag-on-my-team16","tag-the-philanthropy-edition"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Jordan-Sheridan-Syracuse-Woman-Magazine-0008.jpg?fit=3319%2C4973&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2645,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2645","url_meta":{"origin":2688,"position":0},"title":"LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In November, we write about philanthropy","author":"Sarah Hall","date":"October 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Philanthropy in its most basic definition means \u201clove of humanity.\u201d I like to believe that people are basically good \u2014 that we all start out with the best of intentions, full of that love of humanity. Sometimes the world is a cold and lonely place and that love fades (and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "From the editor"","block_context":{"text":"From the editor","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=717"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/breakfast-1869772_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/breakfast-1869772_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/breakfast-1869772_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/breakfast-1869772_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/breakfast-1869772_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2225,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2225","url_meta":{"origin":2688,"position":1},"title":"Stories from the heart: Bea Gonz\u00e1lez, Go Red for Women chair","author":"Sarah Hall","date":"February 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"As the chair of this year\u2019s Go Red for Women campaign for the American Heart Association, Bea Gonz\u00e1lez sees storytelling as a big part of her job. \u201cThere's a lot of power in story telling,\u201d she said. \u201cYou never know the impact if will have on people\u2014\u2018\u2019Oh, my friend finally\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cover Story"","block_context":{"text":"Cover Story","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=100"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Bea-Gonzalez-Syracuse-University-0003.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Bea-Gonzalez-Syracuse-University-0003.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Bea-Gonzalez-Syracuse-University-0003.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Bea-Gonzalez-Syracuse-University-0003.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1280,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1280","url_meta":{"origin":2688,"position":2},"title":"Linda Lopez","author":"Staff","date":"December 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Leading the Army of Good By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alice G. 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