Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/26/08
The lacrosse community from Philadelphia, Penn State and beyond is teaming to support a popular lacrosse coach who is battling a brain tumor.
On Sun., Nov. 2, a collection of friends and family of Doylestown’s Deb Andress, dubbed “Team Andress,” will participate in the third annual Race for Hope in Philadelphia, a 5K Run/Walk (9 a.m. start) sponsored by the Brain Tumor Society.
The event raises funds for innovative research and support services for brain tumor patients and their families. Team Andress will be selling t-shirts for $10 at the event, with 100% of the proceeds going to The Jefferson Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Philadelphia.
As of Friday, “Team Andress” has over $22,000 for the Brain Tumor Society and is in first place for fundraising out of 164 teams. So far the team has 385 members. Click here to register to be a member of Team Andress.
Andress, who was appointed as the first women’s coach at Penn State Abington in Junuary, is also the director and a coach for the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Girls Lacrosse Youth Organization (2nd through 8th grade girls) in Bucks County. She also serves as a board member of the Philadelphia Lacrosse Association.
“This is a great cause to support and it is so special to all of us to support Deb,” said Penn State field hockey coach Char Morett, who was a teammate of Andress. “She is such a caring and wonderful person who has touched so many lives in a meaningful and positive way. We all love her dearly and will fight alongside her to find a cure.”
Andress played both field hockey and lacrosse at Penn State and was a member of teams that won two AIAW National Championships. In January, she was named the first women’s lacrosse coach at Penn State Abington, a program that is scheduled to begin varsity play in the spring of 2009.
Andress, also an instructor of kinesiology at Abington, has been a lacrosse coach or player at nearly every level, from youth to national play. He was a member of the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Team from 1980-1984 and served as head of the selection committee and head coach for the Philadelphia Area Girls Lacrosse Association U15 and U13 squads from 2002-2006.
“Team Andress” members are reminded to bring their lacrosse sticks to the event (remember to turn your clocks back one hour for daylight savings time).
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