Attention New York Giants Fans!

New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin will host his sixth annual charity gala on Friday, October 1, at Cipirani’s in midtown Manhattan.

All proceeds from the "Champions for Children" gala will benefit the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, which provides financial assistance and emotional support to families of children with cancer. The special honorees of the evening are Charles W. Allen, President and CEO of Athlon Sports Communications Inc; and Jerald F. Irving, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of ICAP Securities USA LLC, who will be honored for their philanthropic work for children. Both honorees exemplify excellence and teamwork in their fields of endeavor as well as outstanding civic leadership.

Scores of current and former New York Giants -- including Eli Manning -- are expected to attend the event, which has raised over $3 million since its inception in 2005. There will also be a major silent auction as the foundation pursues a fundraising goal of $600,000.

The event will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. with a red carpet cocktail party and silent auction, followed by a formal sit-down dinner and live entertainment. WNBC-TV Sports anchor Bruce Beck will serve as master of ceremonies.

Following the "Champions For Children" gala, the Giants will take on the Chicago Bears at the Meadowlands on Sunday, October 3rd. The season opener is September 12th at home against the Carolina Panthers.

About The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund

Founded in 1996, The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation was created in the honor of Jay McGillis, a member of the Boston College Football team who developed leukemia while a member of the team.

Then-Boston College head coach Tom Coughlin was inspired by the courage, compassion and faith he and his family demonstrated during the course of his illness. It is the mission of The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation to assist children with leukemia and other cancers and their families by providing emotional and financial support to help improve the children’s quality of life and to help reduce the family stress associated with going through this crisis. This allows the families to focus on what matters most – the health of the child.

The Jay Fund has expanded its outreach to pediatric oncology patients in the New York area by adding therapeutic diversion programs at the NYU Langone Medical Center; sending 10 pediatric oncology patients to Camp Happy Times this summer; and establishing an emergency fund at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey to aid families in crisis with transportation and household expenses.