Although Saturday was a rainy day, the Generals were ready to take on the weather as they prepared to play their game in honor of their Friends of Jaclyn teammate, Maggie Reca.
Friends of Jaclyn is a non-profit organization that centers on improving the quality of life for children suffering from pediatric brain tumors by pairing them with sports teams. The organization was started in 2005 after Jaclyn was adopted by the Northwestern women's lacrosse team. The mission of the organization is:
To improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors. The program is based on love, support and friendship between the child, the team, and the child’s family. We pair a child with a college or high school athletic team based on geographic proximity so the child can be involved with the team as much as possible. The child is “adopted” by the team and becomes an honorary team member. The gift is in the relationship. The child gains a new support network of loving friends and the team learns to see the world with new eyes.
Some of the Generals sporting their FOJ shirts before warm ups.
Maggie Reca, the Generals' FOJ teammate, has been with the team since 2008, but has been battling brain cancer since she was 9 years old. While Maggie, now 17, is one of the General's biggest fans, the Generals definitely get just as much out of having Maggie as their teammate as she does being part of the team.
Saturday was no exception to that as thankfully, Maggie and her family brought the sun with them! It poured all morning leading up to game time, but when warm ups started the sun came out and stayed bright until long after the game!
The seniors, Coach O'Brien, and Maggie during the tailgate!
While the game didn't go quite the way Maggie or any of the Generals wanted it to, having Maggie there reminds us all to put the game of lacrosse in perspective and enjoy it for what it is.
A big thank you to Maggie, Eric, Kathi, and Joe Reca for all making the trip down to Lexington for our FOJ game! For more information on the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation please visit their website here: http://www.friendsofjaclyn.net/Default.aspx
