E8 Teams Taking Part in USILA/HEADstrong Cancer Awareness Week
The Empire 8 men's lacrosse teams will be taking part in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/HEADstrong Cancer Awareness Week.
In December 2015, the USILA and the HEADstrong Foundation announced an historic partnership aimed at raising cancer awareness and funds for improving the quality of life for cancer patients and their families. The effort will focus around an annual USILA/HEADstrong Cancer Awareness Week. The landmark initiative will take place April 15 – 23, 2016, in which collegiate men's lacrosse teams nationwide will be asked to make a statement on the playing field by pledging a game, raising funds and wearing HEADstrong awareness accessories in support of the cause.
HEADstrong was established by former Hofstra University men's lacrosse player Nicholas Colleluori, who was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma following his freshman season, with the goal of raising awareness and funds to support cancer victims and their families. Although Colleluori passed in 2006, his vision has grown into a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has raised over $7 million and has assisted over 12,000 patients since 2007.
All men's lacrosse games at the NCAA Division I, II, and III level during this week will have an opportunity to pledge a game as a USILA/HEADstrong event to support this important cause in a manner they see fit.
Those games within the Empire 8 that have been designated include:
APril 19: St. John Fisher at Elmira
April 20: Stevens at Utica College
April 23: Elmira at Stevens
April 23: Ithaca at Alfred
Elmira College hosted a HEADstrong Mustache Madness campaign in the fall of 2015.