Lauren's First and Goal goes over the $1 million mark

FROM KEITH GROLLER

One of the great events every June is the Lauren's First and Goal Football Clinic at Lafayette College.

Dozens of college coaches from all levels come to Lafayette to volunteer their time and work with high school football kids looking to learn and gain some valuable exposure from coaches who can help them get to the next level.

The event has also featured some prominent main speakers over the years as well including Phil Simms and Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh.

The objective is to raise money for those battling pediatric cancer and their families.

Lauren Loose, daughter of Lafayette defensive coordinator John Loose, has been battling cancer throughout her young life (that's where the clinic's title comes from). It's truly a day that a lot of different people come together for a good cause.

Anyway, in a release received this morning, it is wonderful to learn that more than $1 million has been raised by Laure's First and Goal organization since 2004.

Here are the details:



Lauren’s First and Goal Foundation is pleased to announce the awarding of more than $143,000 to pediatric cancer research, patient services and families living with the disease. This year’s donations will bring LFG’s total contributions to more than $1 million since 2004.

“The money raised this year to support these grants is a true collective effort on the part of the donors, volunteers, coaches and thousands of high school football players who participate in the Lauren's First and Goal Football Camps in June,” said LFG founder Marianne Loose.

“We are excited and encouraged to know that ongoing grants to our partnering researchers has resulted in the launch of a formal, multi-institutional clinical trial for children with low grade gliomas, while patients and families continue to benefit from services and financial support,” Loose added.

The largest portion of this year’s grants will be $88,000 to continue to fund pediatric cancer research. With nine children being diagnosed with a brain tumor every day, LFG remains committed to ongoing research projects that the foundation has contributed toward for the last few years.

The Children´s Hospital of Philadelphia´s Children´s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium (CBTTC) will receive $27,000. The foundation will grant $34,000 to a pediatric low grade astrocytoma research study at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and $27,000 to the Pilocytic Pilomyxoid Research Fund at Johns Hopkins.

In addition to funding research, Lauren’s First and Goal is dedicated to supporting patient services that ease the burden on families battling pediatric cancer.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/