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CCSU takes center court with the 'Beautiful Lives Project'

For the second year in a row, CCSU hosted an event that gives people of all abilities a chance to participate in activities that are not always available to them.

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Basketball players, football players, and cheerleaders were all part of the game plan at Central Connecticut State University to begin the week. And everyone was on the same team.

For the second year in a row, CCSU hosted an event for the “Beautiful Lives Project” which gives people of all abilities a chance to participate in activities that are not always available to them. 

“(It’s) all ages to get them out of their environment and to get them onto a field where maybe they’ve never thought they had the physical capabilities," Tony Gionfriddo, the executive director of the Beautiful Lives Project, said.

RELATED: CCSU Football teams up to bring competition and fun with the Beautiful Lives Project

“We just want our guys to experience a little something different in giving back to the community…seeing our guys interact with the Beautiful Lives people is great," Patrick Sellers, a former Central Connecticut basketball star and now the team’s head coach, said.

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CCSU senior guard Jordan Jones ran the participants through shooting lines and passing drills.

“I just wanted to be here because it means more to me because I know they’re having the best time of their lives and I just wanted to be a part of that," he said.

This year, more than 60 people from the Beautiful Lives Project went to the Detrick Gymnasium on the CCSU campus to take part in the event. 

RELATED: CCSU Athletics host inclusive events with Beautiful Lives Project

Sellers, who is vying for a NEC Conference title this year, added: “This is part of what we do at CCSU, we love community service and we love to give back.”

To learn more about the Beautiful Lives Project click here.

Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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