Number of Participants: 50
Hours Donated: 4
Value of Time Served: $6,958
Event Type: Health & Safety
Activity: Football
School: Yorktown High School
Date: September 5, 2025
Location:
Yorktown Highschool
Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights
NY
About:
This week, Yorktown Football had the privilege of welcoming Grace O’Connor, founder of the Dan O’Connor Foundation, for an impactful presentation with their athletes. During double sessions, Grace shared her brother Dan’s story and spoke candidly about mental health and suicide awareness, reminding the players that these struggles can affect anyone—even those we might never expect. She encouraged the athletes to carry Dan’s story forward by sharing it with at least two people, helping to spark meaningful conversations and spread awareness.
Tonight, the team will honor Dan’s memory with a special pre-game ceremony, where Grace will take part in the coin toss. Following the game, an event will be held to raise funds for the Dan O’Connor Foundation.
All proceeds from the evening will directly support the foundation’s mission. Grace plans to use these funds to award scholarships to members of the team, providing opportunities that support both their academic and personal growth.
This event is about much more than football—it’s about community, remembrance, and making a lasting impact on the lives of student-athletes.
—Coach Brandon Trager
The Dan O’Connor Foundation is a nonprofit that I recently founded in honor of my brother Dan, who died by suicide in 2009. Its mission is to raise awareness about mental health and encourage well-being in schools.
This June, we hope to award our first scholarship to a graduating senior at Yorktown High School. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of working with Brandon Trager, a varsity football coach who was also one of Dan’s friends and teammates. It was Brandon who suggested hosting a football game in Dan’s honor, making this event all the more meaningful.
—Grace O’Connor
