By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/6/09
The New Hope-Solebury boys’ lacrosse team has performed one major act of community service and is gearing to participate in another.
The Lions, who have been named the Phillylacrosse.com Scholastic Male Team of the Week, helped the Doylestown chapter of the American Red Cross relocate its disaster relief organization from downtown Doylestown to a temporary location in New Britain on March 28.
The move comes as the Red Cross establishes a new headquarters in Bucks County.
“The team was eager to lend a helping hand,” said NHS coach Patrick Ryan “When you 
have an opportunity to give back to the community you do it without question, and our boys recognized that and proudly went out after morning practice and moved cots, blankets and boxes.
“It was rewarding on many levels, for everyone involved.”
New Hope also will give its time to volunteer on Saturday, April 25 at the Variety Day at Sesame Place for Children with Autism. The annual event, in its third year, features a full day activities for children with autism as well as their families. The event is run by Variety – the Children’s Charity of Bucks County.
Ryan said the New Hope players will help organize a race and then chaperone youngsters through the event, which features rides and other activities. Ryan, in his second year as coach of the Lions, said a parent of one of his players owns the Mangar Medical Packaging company which helped to transport the Red Cross supplies. The parent also encouraged Ryan to get involved in the Variety event.
“Parents have been been pushing extra activities for us,” Ryan said. “Our program hadn’t been that successful on the field. All of a sudden, this year we have turned it around and we’re 3-3 so far through six games.
“It’s great to see the kids succeeding on the field and even better to see them doing positive things off the field. They are starting to understand more of what athletics can bring to them as opposed to just winning and losing.”
