Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/13/08
The Lehigh men’s team has been honored with the Spirit of Volunteerism Award, presented by the Lehigh Valley Business Volunteer Council.
Coach Kevin Cassese accepted the award Nov. 7 along with senior captains Max Dahlem, Shane Donlan, and Brendan Feeney at the Business Volunteer Council’s Spirit of Volunteerism Awards Breakfast at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.
“Community service is something that has always been an important part of my life as it was instilled in my core values by my parents from a young age,” second-year mentor Cassese said. “Coincidentally, when I got the job here at Lehigh I quickly learned that service work was already a big part of culture surrounding the men’s lacrosse program and the Lehigh athletic department as a whole.
“It was a great fit from the start and together we have been able do some great work in the Lehigh Valley. It has been extremely educational and it has been extremely fun.”
Dale Kochard and Anne-Noon Scaggs nominated Cassese and the Mountain Hawks for the award, and part of the award is a $100 donation to a charity of Cassese’s choice. Cassese will donate the money to the Cops and Kids Literacy Program, which is run by Beverly Bradley.
The Mountain Hawks participated in an amazing 37 projects spanning 112 hours in the past year. Many of the events involved education and children and others ranged from charity events to clean-up jobs and packing books.
“These young men continue to make valuable contributions to the community beyond the University walls and in doing so have touched many lives of those who have shown a need for a helping hand,” explained Cassese. “I am proud of the charitable work these men have been involved with to date and am excited for the activities and projects they will choose to take on in the future.”
This is the third time that the Lehigh Men’s Lacrosse program has been honored for their outstanding community and service work in the last 11 months. In December of 2007, the program was named Lehigh University’s first-ever Volunteer Group of the Month, which was awarded by Lehigh University’s Community Service Office. In May of 2008, Cassese was honored with the Lehigh University Ibis of Service Award, given to a person that exhibits great dedication to a lifestyle of servant leadership.
