Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/2/12
From Press Release
The HEADstrong Foundation is proud to introduce a newly formed competitive girls HEADstrong team playing out of Baltimore. This is a huge step for the organization that is focusing strategic efforts on growing its mission in women’s lacrosse.
Baltimore has become the eighth city to formally launch a HEADstrong club team and the second to include a girls’ component.
Led by Coach Megan Hanson, the newly formed club team debuted last week, competing at the Johns Hopkins’s “Queen of the Turf” 4v4 Tournament. Outfitted in HEADstrong’s signature lime green, which is the national awareness color for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, this team is playing for a purpose. They are motivated by the life and legacy of Nick Colleluori and have embraced the idea of empowering and uniting athletes in the fight against blood cancer.
Aside from participating in lacrosse tournaments during the Fall and Summer, this special group will have an Awareness Station where ever they go, distributing promotional literature, bracelets, stickers and other merchandise in an effort to educate other lacrosse players and their families about the HEADstrong Foundation. Their goal is to spread the word and further encourage female involvement in the cause.
In addition, the team will host charity instructional youth clinics during the year and will participate in the Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk. The HEADstrong Foundation is a national partner of this important organization.
With Baltimore being a traditional hub for the game, HEADstrong is ecstatic about the opportunity to connect with players and families from the city and the surrounding area, particularly since Headstrong is nationally headquartered in nearby Holmes, PA. This team is on a mission, literally.
“Nick’s story is one that we feel very strongly about sharing,” said Hanson. “We believe in the HEADstrong mission and the impact made on our sport. Our team will represent the passion and spirit that Nick possessed and the mission that he created.
“Through lacrosse, we will spread awareness about blood cancer and the support needed to help combat the disease and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Our positive energy and passion is already spreading throughout Baltimore as many younger girls want to be involved in HEADstrong. We are so thankful to be part of such an amazing, special program.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Megan Hanson, the players of Team HEADstrong Baltimore and the entire Maryland lacrosse community for believing in our mission and joining our fight,” said Cheryl Colleluori, HEADstrong President and Nick’s Mom. “We have been very blessed to be given the opportunity to share our story and Nick’s legacy with the lacrosse community and have forged wonderful relationships with so many who have been inspired through our efforts.
“It is really special to see this group so motivated by Nick’s story and our mission. Recently my husband and I traveled to spend time with the team and we were really moved by the reception we received. The hospitality that was extended made us feel right at home. We are proud to welcome this new team into our family. Thank you for making my son’s dream come true.”
