This initiative was born out of an idea that is much bigger than lacrosse. Each of us – whether directly, or through a family member, friend, classmate, teammate – has been impacted in some way by serious illnesses, from cancer to countless other diseases that change life as we know it in an instant. We all know what a team can accomplish, so we decided the best way for us to make a difference would be by coming together for those families who need someone in their corner most. And there’s no better way for us to support them than by supporting the team they turn to for help – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dana-Farber isn’t only a leading cancer hospital, it’s where the world turns for answers. Life-changing research discoveries made at Dana-Farber are shared around the globe, impacting the lives of both children and adults.
The fight became even more personal as we began to gameplan for this year’s event. One of our three founding teammates lost his father to liposarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer, after a hard-fought ~6 month war. Sean Fox was a proud alumnus of Hobart College, where he was a Statesman for five years, helping the program to earn five National Championship rings (four as a player, one as an assistant coach). He was always so proud of the lacrosse community for its willingness to “take care of its own”, and was enthusiastically supportive of the first annual Lacrosse for Life event, long before his diagnosis. As such, this year’s beneficiary will be the Dana-Farber Sarcoma Center. We’re so excited to partner with another elite medical institution and do our part to support the good guys in a bout that truly matters.
Once again, we’re raising awareness and funds by shaving our own heads – our way to make a statement that shows we are willing to change something in our daily lives to help someone that we may never meet who is going through struggles we may or may not understand. We all know that the college lacrosse community is one of character, kindness, and a strong will to give back. So, we’re calling on this community to band together with an aim toward making this movement as large as possible, producing the most beneficial outcome for awareness and fundraising.