By PAUL GOTHAM
When it comes to raising money for charity, few in Section V are better than the Pittsford Athletics department.
So when Todd Julien heard that Holly Zungali (Haefner) passed away after a lengthy battle with an eating disorder, the head coach of Pittsford Mendon girls’ basketball wanted to honor his former player.
Despite the passing of time, teammates came together again for a common purpose.
“It was extremely gratifying for me two and half decades later to see the passion that still existed for their teammate and the Mendon program as well,” Julien said.
Amy Shannon, an assistant coach with the 2001-02 Mendon girls’ team, knew what to expect when Julien put out the word.
“We’ve always had an altruistic perspective,” said Shannon who is currently the principal at Bloomfield High School. “Obviously, it’s basketball and winning that’s really important. I think giving back to the community has always been something that Pittsford Mendon girls’ basketball team has engaged in.
“It started really small back in 2001 and 25 years later that the Mendon basketball community came back together for Holly. It just shows the true spirit of what the Rainbow Classic and Mendon basketball is all about.”
Zungali, who had been living with her husband and two sons in Ashburn, Virginia, lost her battle in late November.
“Holly was a childhood friend,” said Shannon Wilmot who attended Park Road elementary school and played basketball with Zungali. “We were best friends in elementary school and growing up.
“She was really popular and a great friend.”
Though Wilmot knew of Holly’s struggles, her friend’s passing in late November came as a surprise.
“I knew she had been sick, but it was a shock to a lot of people.”
Wilmot and Zungali were senior captains on the Mendon girls’ basketball team that was the first to participate in the Rainbow Classic.
Proceeds from that event went to benefit the family of Katelyn Pasley who lost her life in a battle with leukemia.
“She was a huge part of it,” Wilmot said of the efforts in that initial year of The Classic. “She was a huge part of that team. She would have loved to have seen this.”
Later, the annual event, which pits the girls’ and boys’ teams from neighboring Mendon and Sutherland in a doubleheader held at the University of Rochester Palestra, raised funds for the family of Ryan McCluski who also lost his battle with cancer.
Over the years, the Rainbow Classic has contributed more than $600,000 to the Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Last month, organizers celebrated the 25th anniversary.
The 2001 Mendon girls’ basketball team rekindled that same spirit as it raised more than $16,000 dollars in Zungali’s name and donated those proceeds to The Healing Connection – a Rochester-based not-for-profit organization that provides assistance for those struggling with an eating disorder and their families.
“To have the Pittsford community come together and to decide that this is how they wanted to honor Holly, it just took my breath away,” said Amanda Drobnica the Executive Director of The Healing Connection. “As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on outside support and donors and grants.”
The Healing Connection
Located on University Avenue in Downtown Rochester, The Healing Connection has been providing services for those struggling with an eating disorder and their families since 2005.
“We support any family that’s in need and meet them where they’re at,” Drobnica said.
The facility provided over 12,000 services in the past year and receives more than 1,000 phone calls annually with inquiries about different treatment programs.
“Eating disorders do not discriminate,” Drobnica said. “Eating disorders affect more people than we know, primarily because there are a lot of people who are left without being diagnosed. There is a stigma around seeking help, around discussing this.
“We are charged as a small not-for-profit agency to get in front of that and to talk about it, to embed eating disorder resources and treatment and care in order to train our teachers, to train our community organizations and family members on what to look for. It’s a very silent disorder.”
Working with the Golisano Children’s Hospital, The Healing Connection provides a continuum of care that starts with outpatient services and continues with intensive outpatient work, partial hospitalization and inpatient hospitalization.
“Eating disorders are about disconnection,” she said. “Our mission is to help families and clients find and reconnect with themselves, their loved ones, what they’re passionate about.”
There are plans to open a residence in Pittsford for adolescents with eating disorders. This facility will have 10 beds to house patients and has been in the works for two to three years.
“The only thing holding us up from opening the doors tomorrow is we are looking to raise $250,000 for the initial two-to-three months of startup to pay salaries.”
This next step will take The Healing Connection into the future and make it possible for the organization to complete the continuum from in-patient medical stabilization to out-patient, general support.
“When we were growing up and in high school, this type of care was not readily available. We’re celebrating 15 years of being the beacon of hope in our community for eating disorder treatment and being the specialist in this field. The fact that we’re a non-profit model distinguishes us from other services out there.”
The donation in Holly Zungali’s name will go to these fundraising efforts.
“We are so grateful to Pittsford basketball and to all the independent donors who made this happen.”
Honoring Holly
Though Zungali lived two states away, the distance did not keep Amy Shannon from staying in touch with a former player.
“Fortunately, I had the chance to connect with her via social media.”
Shannon had shared photos of her daughter, who currently plays at Fairport High School, and recalled Holly commenting: “‘Oh, her shot looks just like yours.’”
Shannon remembered Holly as the one who always defended the opposing team’s best player, who dove on the floor for a loose ball, who set a screen to get a teammate open.
“Out of all my years coaching, she was my favorite player. She left everything out on the floor. She was bruised. She was banged up. She would take that offensive foul.”
That attitude extended beyond the court.
“She was not just a star basketball player. She was a star human. That’s always something I’m looking for in people.
“When I think about Holly, I think about the legacy she’s left. It’s something that resonates with me as a person, as a mom, as a principal. Those are all the qualities you want in someone outside of being a good basketball player. She was a great human.
“I knew it must have been a crazy battle if that kid couldn’t make it through. She had a different level of energy and fight to her that’s hard to replicate. Holly was unique.”
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For Julien, the experience created a swing of emotions. The 25th-year coach mentioned a recent gathering in which friends shared happy and sad moments from the past year.
“My sad was Holly passing after a two-and-a-half-decade battle with an eating disorder. My happy was reconnecting with our 2001 basketball team in a really meaningful way to not only raise money in Holly’s name but for a really good cause as well.”
Wilmot recalled a friend who was always there for someone in need.
“Since her passing, people have reached out and we’ve talked. It’s very clear that she was checking in on her friends. We’ve gotten married. We’ve had babies. We’ve done all this stuff, but she still would reach out and see how you were doing.
“Checking in on teammates and friends she hadn’t seen in years. It goes back to The Healing Connection. She reached out to people in good times and bad times, and that ‘s how The Healing Connection is there for people.”
Start 2026 by Giving Hope
As we start 2026, let’s look ahead with purpose. Together, we can bring hope and healing to those who need it most.
Make your charitable, tax-deductible gift and help The Healing Connection continue its mission into the new year. Last year alone, the not-for-profit organization delivered nearly 12,000 vital mental health services—and your support makes this possible.
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