Cristin Mullen’s Legacy Lives on Through St. Rose CYO

By Katie McFadden

Cristin Mullen’s legacy lives on. On Friday, October 27, St. Rose of Lima CYO celebrated Jersey Night where the night before the 3rd Annual Cristin Mullen Run, the Mullen family was recognized for their contributions to the sports program through the proceeds from the run.

Since its inception, the run to honor the late Cristin Mullen, a local lifeguard, athlete and special education teacher who died due to complications from epilepsy, has supported something Cristin would have loved—helping children in need. As St. Rose of Lima holds a special place in the hearts of the Mullen family, and with their CYO program needing an extra boost, the Mullen family has donated the proceeds of the run right toward helping the student athletes.

According to Parish Athletic Representative for St. Rose CYO, Bobby Steiner, “The donations have been used for warm-up shirts for the kids, athletic equipment, coaches’ shirts and it also gets used for some kids in our parish who don’t have the ability to pay the registration fees, so the funds help offset the costs. We don’t turn kids away. We have about 100 kids in the program and each year, anywhere from five to 10 of them can’t pay and this gives us a way to make sure they can.”

After the 3rd Annual Cristin Mullen Run on October 28, St. Rose CYO will once again benefit from the proceeds, which will be used for all the same reasons, plus to help a fundraiser that the school will be holding to patch up and repaint the school’s gym.

Steiner is grateful that the Mullen family chose to support their program. “It’s been a great arrangement. We don’t have any sponsorships, CYO is self-sufficient and oftentimes coaches pay out of pocket for supplies, in addition to donating their time. I didn’t know the Mullens, but Noreen Mullen reached out last year and now every dollar raised from that run goes right toward the kids,” Steiner said.

At Jersey Night this year, the second through eighth grade boys and girls basketball teams were introduced and celebrated at an event where even St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy Principal Ms. Karrie Moffo and the Polish School principal Monika Wroblewski showed up to show their support. And this year, there were some other special guests. Steiner welcomed the Mullen family to recognize them for their contributions to the program and to present them with their very own St. Rose of Lima CYO Cristin Mullen jersey.

“They couldn’t make it last year, so this year we had them come down and we presented them with the jersey and coaches’ shirts, and they addressed the crowd. It was nice because I wanted to show them that they’re a part of the St. Rose family and show them how much we appreciate their contribution. It isn’t just about dropping off a paycheck. They’re a part of what we do, and we want them remembered throughout the year,” Steiner said.

Steiner says it’s an honor for St. Rose CYO to carry on Mullen’s legacy of athleticism, kindness and giving back to kids in need. “The financial part of it is needed but I like the fact that St. Rose CYO is able to be the vehicle to acknowledge Cristin and keep her memory alive,” Steiner said. “I didn’t know Cristin, but I’ve gotten to know her beautiful family and the fact that we have the opportunity to keep her memory alive is really special.”