Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/29/22 – From Press Release
The Philadelphia Lacrosse Association is looking for HEADstring™ Project volunteers (student-athletes/coaches/teams/programs) who are interested in contributing to a good cause and potentially earning community service credit by (1) organizing / conducting stick donation drives at their schools in January/February/March, and/or (2) restringing and refurbishing donated sticks, using the HEADstrong Foundation’s distinctive lime green mesh.
Several dozen student volunteers over the last six years have served a higher cause and earned community service credit from the PLA and The HEADstrong Foundation,™ who have partnered to further blood cancer awareness and promote the growth of lacrosse through the initiative.
Click here for list of volunteers programs and students.
The objective of the HEADstring™ Project is to further blood cancer awareness while infusing the values and positive message associated with the HEADstrong Foundation™. The project seeks to inspire students-athletes by sharing the story of HEADstrong founder Nicholas “HEAD” Colleluori, whose name will forever be synonymous with character, camaraderie, courage, strength, toughness, determination and perseverance.
Ultimately, the initiative is designed to introduce the game to inner city and underserved students in the belief that the game of lacrosse can change lives.
Through the HEADstring™ Project, the PLA has purchased or arranged to restring and donate over 1000 boys and girls sticks since 2015. The sticks supported new school teams at Olney, Welsh and Meehan Middle Schools, a junior varsity team at Northeast High School and an intramural program at Stearne Elementary. Other recipients of the HEADstring Project sticks include the Philadelphia School District more generally and an assortment of PIAA teams in District 12, Harlem Lacrosse/Philadelphia, Eyekonz Lacrosse, club programs at Lincoln University, Cheltenham High School, Mastery Charter, and have supported diversity and inclusion initiatives in Norristown and Bethlehem .
Click here for a gallery of pictures!
High school and club travel teams, youth programs, booster clubs, and student athletes – WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! One former high school student athlete who participated in the past was Liam LaBarge, who attended Penn Charter. LaBarge organized a stick donation drive among the Inter-Ac schools and kept track of his efforts. He shared information about his initiative with Drexel’s Close School of Entrepreneurship and earned second place recognition in the “Rising Starters Entrepreneurship Competition,” which included a significant cash prize.
Click here for more information and/or to register to help us surface and collect sticks in basements, attics and garages to be refurbished for new life in the hands of players in Philadelphia or other areas where the seeds of lacrosse are growing. Any questions, please contact Scott Growney, HEADstring™ Project Founder/Director, at sgrowney@comcast.net.
