STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — If you’ve been around high school basketball over the past 30 years or so, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Mike Reape at one point or another.
Reape, in fact, has been a fixture in several Staten Island hoops programs through the years, including high school, CYO and travel ball.
Perhaps you or your kids played for or against him.
The fiery coach with a notable sense of humor has made stops at Tottenville (boys’ varsity), Staten Island Academy (girls’ varsity), Susan Wagner (boys’ freshman coach, varsity assistant) and St. Peter’s (freshman assistant). He also coached high school at Adelphi in Brooklyn and most recently he had a successful stint guiding CYO teams at St. Clare’s.
Reape coached AAU ball with the Staten Island Stingrays and Staten Island Mavericks and, of course, he was the longtime Sports and Recreation Director at the Jewish Community Center.
Despite all the time he’s given to coaching, Reape has encountered a number of serious health issues through the years as well.
Approximately nine years ago, he had a liver transplant. He’s also fought courageously against cancer and about a month ago, he suffered a debilitating stroke.
Medical costs have skyrocketed and the well-respected mentor is in need of financial assistance to pay off his bills.
A fundraiser has been organized through the crowdfunding platform “Give A Hand.’’ As of Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 1 p.m., 76 donors have contributed nearly $9,500 toward the suggested goal of $50,000.
If you’d like to make a contribution toward coach Reape’s cause, please click here.
Coach Reape, for one, would be especially appreciative to those who donate.