Students from the Seton Hall University PUSH Athletic Club will host an event on April 24 to raise money for Dr. Jean Bissainthe, a professor whose apartment building burned down on February 28.
According to the Indiegogo fundraising page dedicated to the event, Bissainthe “risked his own life to wake up his sleeping neighbor and bring her to safety.” In 30 days, the effort blew past its $1,000 goal, raising $1,244 that went to help the professor with the “smile on his face that never fails to leave.”
The event, called “BumpBall for Bissainthe,” will take place on April 24 from 12 to 4 p.m. It will be held on the Galleon Lawn with SHU organizations Alpha Sigma Phi, AOII, and APO. According to Daniel Osika, PUSH president and member of Alpha Sigma Phi, the games will be scheduled in 15 minute intervals, in a 5 vs. 5 format. Pizza will be available, as well as Alpha Sigma Phi brothers handing out free energy drinks.
Admission is $10 per person, and all money will go to continued efforts to help Dr. Bissainthe.
Two days after the fire, Dr. Bissainthe entered his classroom with his unfailing smile in the face of adversity. When a student asked about his feelings on the event, Bissainthe said, “I always take my life in a humble way and I am always ready for the challenges. This is the message that I always take into the classroom. Do not surrender, take advantage of your time, be generous and cooperative with others. Do not stress out; be patient. Do what you’re supposed to do and control yourself.”
