Last year North Allegheny setter Abby Miller was named PA Player of the Year by Gatorade. The award came with an automatic $1,000 donation to the athlete’s choice of a sports related charity. Abby was kind enough to gift that award to We Serve First. Here is the letter that accompanied her application for the funds.
Gatorade Player of the Year Essay - by Abby Miller (PA)
In the many seasons that I have played volleyball, I have been privileged to be the captain for the majority of my teams. Before every match, the captains of the two teams are called to the official’s table to determine who serves first. This is done by a coin toss. I take pride in winning those calls, and every time I win, I choose to serve. Recently, this phrase has taken on a whole new meaning in my life. A few months ago I was introduced to a foundation called We Serve First. One of the organization’s founders, Ellen Toy, created the phrase, “Flip the Coin, Choose to Serve.” As I have learned more about the We Serve First foundation and the people involved, I continue to be inspired by their vision and the lives they have touched. The game of volleyball is competitive, but the We Serve First foundation proves that serving first is less important than serving others.
The story behind the We Serve First foundation includes many people, but it is mostly about Ellen Toy. Ellen grew up playing volleyball at Kiski Area High School, in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, and went on to play at the University of Pittsburgh. After an injury ended her college career, Ellen’s love for volleyball pushed her to become a coach. Her coaching career spanned many decades and included positions at Norwin, Plum, Leechburg, and Kiski. Ironically, Ellen’s first head coaching position at Plum High School led her to a State title against my very own grandpa’s (Bob Miller) North Allegheny Girl’s team. Ellen coached many players who would go on to play at the college level. She was a devoted educator, loving wife, mother of three, and an inspirational volleyball coach. She was inducted into the Pennsylvania Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015. In a short amount of time, Ellen made a monumental impact in the volleyball world and the lives of the players she coached. However, one fateful call from the doctor would drastically alter Ellen’s life forever. She was diagnosed with gastric cancer, and on February 22nd, 2016, Ellen passed away.
There are many wonderful and equally sad stories that make up the background of the We Serve First foundation; more than I could possibly include in this essay. While Ellen was battling cancer, her coaching partner and close friend, Jaime Moran, was fighting her third round of leukemia. These two women had no shortage of friends and family, so the support came pouring in. Ellen’s husband, Tim, wanted to set up fundraisers to offset medical expenses. They had the idea to host a “Jam the Gym” event, which would become an annual fundraiser for local cancer charities. This one was for Jaime, who had fought many battles already and needed all the support she could get. There were also GoFundMe pages set up. These fundraisers were a success, and the idea for We Serve First was born.
“I have been told, by people who know such things, that there is nothing in existence quite like what we want to do. I like that idea, because if there is something Ellen Toy deserves, it is a creation unlike any before.”
-Tim Toy
Tim and Ellen planned to create a “vollership” program, designed to aid athletes whose families had encountered financial difficulty. The foundation would allow kids to go to camps and begin or continue their club volleyball careers. Originally, the foundation was for athletes whose families were struggling with medical issues, but eventually they expanded to any athlete who needed financial help. In Ellen’s absence, Tim has used the funds raised to aid many athletes in their volleyball pursuits. Some of these athletes have used the training and experiences paid for by the We Serve First foundation to earn volleyball scholarships. These are opportunities that would not have existed without the Toys.
“I believe life consists of millions of busy intersections. Sometimes we get safely through them, and sometimes we collide. These collisions can be good or bad, and can vary in intensity from minor to life altering.”
- Tim Toy
Tim and Ellen were instrumental in helping a lot of volleyball people in the Pittsburgh community “collide.” They connected with local high school coaches as well as members of the Women’s National team to pull off some amazing projects and benefits. To this date, nearly 30 kids have been impacted by the foundation and countless more have been affected indirectly. When I was told I could choose an organization to receive a financial award through the Gatorade Player of the Year program, We Serve First immediately came to mind, not only for what they have accomplished, but also because of the personal connection for me. I became connected to the We Serve First foundation just this year when one of my teammates was able to participate in club volleyball through a scholarship. She has become one of my best friends. Another player in our club received a scholarship in the past, and her club career started through an opportunity created by the foundation. Without We Serve First, I would never have known these wonderful girls.
Volleyball is a small world that unites people in some amazing ways. Ellen and Tim Toy are wonderful examples of people who, when faced with adversity and a feeling that things were being taken from them, still chose to give back. The We Serve First foundation is small, and the funding behind it will be gone soon. As we come close to the third anniversary of Ellen’s passing, my hope is that through the additional financial award of the Gatorade Player of the Year program, the We Serve First foundation can live on in Ellen Toy’s memory. “Flip the Coin, Choose to Serve.”
Abby(right) and sister Paige celebrate another PA State Championship for North Allegheny.