Matt Long, Iona College Graduate, Firefighter, Motivational Speaker and Author, to Be Keynote Speaker at College's President's Club Special Event

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March  2011) Matt Long, a graduate of Iona College (class of '89), firefighter, motivational speaker and author, will be the keynote speaker at Iona's President's Club special event, Thursday, March 24, at 6:30 pm at the Christopher J. Murphy Auditorium, Murphy Center, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle.

Long earned a BBA degree in Accounting from Iona where he played basketball and rugby and was a member of Alpha Tau Chi. In addition, he was the recipient of an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, at Iona's 2009 commencement.

Long served as a New York City firefighter and was at the World Trade Center on 9/11. In December 2005, while biking to work during New York City's transit strike, he was struck by a charter bus making an illegal turn that left him with debilitating injuries. His odds for survival were 1% according to doctors.

After months in the hospital and 40 surgeries, he did survive. Through an exhausting regimen of physical therapy and hard-core training,  Long re-built his badly mangled body to the point where he ran the New York City Marathon in 2008, three years after the accident.

In 2008, Matt Long founded the "I Will Foundation", a non-profit organization established to help people overcome adversity and challenges caused by illness or traumatic injury. Long has written about his experiences in his book The Long Run, published by Rodale Books.

Members of The President's Club, the leadership giving society of the Annual Fund, make gifts of $1,000 or more in unrestricted support each year. These donations make an immediate impact by providing the students and faculty of Iona College with the opportunities, resources and technology necessary to better achieve success in today's global world. Members include alumni, parents, college employees and friends.

Admission to the event is free but reservations are required by calling Kara Brennan, '00MS, director of The President's Club and Annual Giving (914) 633-2410 or kbrennan@iona.edu. For further event details, please visit the events calendar at www.iona.edu.

Founded in 1940, Iona College is a four-year private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers and American Catholic higher education. It is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs.

 

For questions or more information please contact:
Dawn Insanalli
Public Relations Office
Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801
Office: (914) 637-2726
Fax: (914) 637-2711
dinsanalli@iona.edu