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Sports

Goal of Nazareth Lacrosse Game More Than a Winning Score

The Nazareth Academy varsity girls lacrosse team play their first breast cancer awareness game, and are winners in more ways than one.

The Nazareth Academy varsity girls lacrosse team's determination on Saturday at Nazareth to fight against breast cancer drove them to a win 12-6 against Fenwick High School. For the first time, a crowd of about 100 people helped the Roadrunners come together to raise more than $1,000 for the Gilda’s Club, an organization in Chicago supporting cancer patients and their families and friends. 

The team wanted to double it up; raise money for the Gilda’s Club and achieve success on the field, which was the ultimate outcome, said Jake Padilla, the head coach of the varsity girls’ lacrosse team.

Even before the game started the girls surpassed their goal of raising $500, Withrow said.

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Gilda’s Club, named for Saturday Night Live star Gilda Radner who died in 1989 of ovarian cancer, is a national effort started in 1998 to aid anyone who is affected by cancer by providing support groups, informational lectures and social activities for them, said Jessica Withrow, the assistant coach of the varsity girls lacrosse team.

 “We did breast cancer because it affects a lot of people. We wanted do something a lot of people would feel connected to,” said Seniors Dulie Herr and Brianne Mahoney, the captains of the team. “Our team felt strongly about it (breast cancer). It’s touched each and every one of our lives.”

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The team’s main priority was to raise money for the Gilda’s Club, which included the girls coming up with an event and fundraisers. For three months the team worked on organizing the event.

This entailed asking local store owners for donations for the raffle, selling pink cupcakes and raffle tickets at school. And they advertised the game through volunteering at the local food pantry, Herr and Mahoney said.

At the game, volunteers sold raffle tickets and pink cupcakes and other desserts to help raise more. Prizes included Sox and Cubs tickets, a Rocco and Rocco Salon gift card, an Angelo’s Pizza gift card and a Moondance Diner gift card.

“I hope this is something we can do every year.  The girls have been awesome, they really enjoyed doing it. The families have been more than awesome,” Withrow said.

 

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