The outpouring of support for the College of the Holy Cross women’s rowing team continued Friday, with more fundraisers springing up as five students and their coach remain hospitalized following the Vero Beach, Fla., crash that killed their teammate, Grace Rett.
Those still in the hospital include junior Paige Cohen, sophomore Anne Comcowich, freshman Maggie O’Leary, freshman Bianca McIver, sophomore Hannah Strom and coach Patrick Diggins, according to a letter from college president the Rev. Philip L. Boroughs that was released to the school community Thursday.
One rower, senior Maegan Moriarty, was released Thursday evening from Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce, Fla., where her teammates and coach remained Friday.
“We ask that everyone continue to keep our students, coach, and the driver of the other vehicle involved in your prayers,” Holy Cross said in a statement on its website Friday.
Strom is the daughter of Thomas Strom, owner of Kool Kone in Wareham, where staff have set up donations jars for contributions to the family.
“We’re accepting anything anyone wants to give, because he’s done so much for the community, he’s done so much for the families in the area. We figured it’s our turn to return the favor,” said manager Melanie Zacamy, who’s known the athlete since she was just 3 years old.
“She’s like a baby sister — a super, super sweet girl, super athletic, very intelligent,” Zacamy said.
Zacamy was at the restaurant when Thomas Strom received the call about the devastating crash.
“It’s a phone call no parent ever wants to hear,” said Zacamy, a mother herself.
The Stroms have been in Florida with their daughter since Wednesday night. Zacamy said the college sophomore was badly injured in the crash and was placed in a medically induced coma with a breathing tube, though she appeared to be stable. She suffered a brain bleed, an injury to her eye, a broken pelvis, broken femur and partially collapsed lung, according to Zacamy, who has been keeping in touch with the family.
Strom was also “really good friends” with Rett, the sole fatality of Wednesday’s crash, said Zacamy.
“We’re all here just rooting for them,” Zacamy said.
Other South Coast businesses are pitching in to help the Stroms, including Meredith Rousseau’s Artisan Bake Shop in Rochester, which is donating half the proceeds from its cupcake flash sale to the family.
“Anytime that we hear of something or one of us needs something, we all sort of band together and come to the rescue,” Rousseau said, adding that the Stroms “have been great customers to us over the years, and we really like their restaurant. I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now.”
O’Leary’s father, Waterbury, Conn., Mayor Neil O’Leary, identified her in a Facebook post thanking the community for “your outpouring of love, support, and prayers for my daughter Maggie, my family, and the Holy Cross Women’s Rowing Team. It has meant so much to my entire family at this time.” A prayer service was held in her honor after the crash.
A GoFundMe page set up by member of the Holy Cross men’s rowing team to help with medical expenses for those still in the hospital had surpassed $179,000 as of Friday afternoon.
