Paul Mulcahy: So much to be Grateful 4
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (BVM) 鈥� Very few people would watch their home burn to the ground and turn around and decide to start an organization based on gratitude. That is the case of Rutgers basketball junior Paul Mulcahy.聽
When Mulcahy was 14, his home caught on fire in a freak accident and left his entire family, including his grandparents, homeless.聽
鈥淚t was tough, but we鈥檝e been very blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by really great people who helped us out along the way,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always held that close to my heart, the people that helped me, helped my family.鈥�
The tragedy made Mulcahy take a step back and reflect on what really mattered. At age 19, he founded the Grateful 4 Foundation.
鈥淕ratitude鈥檚 been a huge role in my life, it still continues to,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o a degree, I guess that sparked the foundation. I just wanted to help as many people as I can with whatever platform God鈥檚 given me.鈥�
The platform Mulcahy has capitalized on since he was a child is basketball.
鈥淏oth my parents were good athletes, all my siblings are good athletes,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e played everything growing up. I really just loved basketball. Basketball has always been my thing.鈥�
He credits his high school coach, Mergin Sina, with building him up both as a player and as a person.
鈥淚 was really fortunate; I had the best high school coach I think anyone could have from a mentor standpoint,鈥� Mulcahy said. 鈥淸Sina] played in Europe for a long time. He played at Seton Hall and Rhode Island. He鈥檚 got a really strong basketball background and he taught me how to play the game the right way. I still talk to him weekly. He helps me in life, school, family. He鈥檚 really close with my family.鈥�
Along with his coaches, Mulcahy tries to absorb all he can from his teammates on the court.
鈥淚鈥檝e had some really good teammates throughout the years that I try to learn from, especially when they鈥檙e older than me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 try to either not make the same mistakes they did or try to get ahead of the game and soak up as much as I can from them.鈥�
Realizing the magnitude of blessings he has been dealt over the years sparked an interest in sharing the attitude of gratitude he had come to experience and acknowledge.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of what the foundation is around,鈥� he said. 鈥淕ratitude, appreciating and being grateful for the things you do have. It was just to spread the idea of gratitude and inspire the chain reaction of selfless acts. Letting that kind of shape your perspective of the day.鈥�
With NIL deals rapidly growing around the NCAA and the high school levels, Mulcahy has capitalized on the potential fundraising opportunities for the Grateful 4 Foundation.
鈥淣ow with NIL, I鈥檝e been able to use my platform to raise money of my own,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting to the point where we鈥檙e going to start legitimate fundraising. I鈥檓 going through the paperwork right now to create a legit 501(c)(3) which would make it a legit nonprofit with tax deductions.鈥�
The organization鈥檚 primary focus is to increase people鈥檚 awareness of gratitude and how they can share that with those around them. As the Grateful 4 Foundation grows, Mulcahy hopes to raise money to give to other organizations.
鈥淭he money we do raise is going to go to other foundations we believe in,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 only so much I can really do right now, but I do have a platform I would like to use. Once we get to a spot where I have more time, which I鈥檓 hoping is next year, we鈥檙e going to be able to do our own thing which I鈥檓 really excited about.鈥�
People looking to get involved can do so in various ways.
鈥淛ust share our message,鈥� Mulcahy said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a way people can get word out about the foundation and spread gratitude. We鈥檙e going to start promoting what we鈥檝e done and what we鈥檙e doing, what we鈥檙e planning to do.
鈥淲e have a store called . All the money that gets raised through that store, 100% of the proceeds go to a different foundation. We鈥檙e doing six different foundations for six different months. The first month, all that money is going to the Jimmy V Foundation. Right now, we鈥檙e donating to the Children鈥檚 Hospital in New Brunswick.鈥�
While he鈥檚 hoping the foundation takes off, his primary focus is basketball. While the Scarlet Knights didn鈥檛 make it as far in the 2022 March Madness tournament as they would have liked, Mulcahy plans to work harder in anticipation of next season.
鈥淥bviously, we didn鈥檛 get as far as we wanted,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was an up and down year. I鈥檓 grateful for it and motivated going into this next year to do a lot more than what we did and get to experience a lot more than we did.鈥�
As for his future beyond Rutgers, Mulcahy is hoping to continue with basketball.
鈥淢y main focus is to play in the NBA,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my goal. I take that very seriously and it鈥檚 something I believe in. My goal is to play basketball as long as I can.鈥�
