ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red women's basketball team will hold a special Draft Day celebration for 7-year-old Karina Hill of Ithaca. The event is open to the public and will take place at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 22 in the Hall of Fame Room in Friends Hall on Campus Road.
 
 Hill, who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy in 2012 was paired with Cornell by Team IMPACT, a national non-profit whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing serious and chronic illnesses through the power of team.
 
Through Team IMPACT's program at Cornell, Hill becomes an official member of the women's basketball team and will join the Big Red at practices, games, team dinners, and other special events. 
 
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,700 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 49 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team. Throughout the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.
 
For more information visit: www.goteamimpact.org.