BENNINGTON, Vt. — On Saturday, Southern Vermont College softball players will tie up their cleats for a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) home doubleheader against Wheelock College, but this league twin bill will see the Mountaineers don gold shoelaces in support of the Go4theGoal® Foundation and its mission to improve the lives of children battling cancer.
Along with any general funds that are donated, the Mountaineers will be allowing their fans and families to throw pies at their faces following the conclusion of the doubleheader at Willow Park to raise additional contributions. Saturday's first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Go4theGoal® is a New Jersey-based non-profit foundation dedicated to helping kids with cancer which currently supports over 100 children's hospitals around the country including the Vermont Children's Hospital in Burlington. Wearing the laces, provided by the Foundation, is part of its Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer® initiative that was started in 2011 and involves athletic teams across the country from youth to professional levels.
"Our hope and expectation of getting involved with Go4theGoal is to show that everyone can lend a helping hand to help build awareness and raise money for children and families affected by pediatric cancer," commented SVC head coach Alyssa Davis. "We feel it is important to us to do our part in this fight."
The Mountaineers purchased their sets of laces from Go4theGoal® with $4 of each pair, plus all additional donations collected by the team, being put directly toward providing financial support, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research, and granting personal wishes for children diagnosed with cancer.
"For the team and me, being able to get involved in Go4theGoal means a lot to each and every one of us," said senior captain Rachel Robtoy (Baltic, Conn.). "We are hoping that, through Go4theGoal, we are able to raise money to be donated to the research that goes into finding a cure. Pediatric cancer, or any cancer for that matter, is a battle-- an ongoing fight-- and we want everyone who has been effected by it to know that we are 'Going 4 the Goal', and we're ready to lace up to show our commitment to that fight.
"The opportunities that the team and I have had in our lifetime have created unforgettable moments and memories that everyone deserves to have," Robtoy continued. "We hope that the children who are affected by cancer are able to create similar memories of their own and hold onto them for a very long time."
Mountaineer supporters can partake on Saturday by purchasing a pair of their own gold laces from Coach Davis for $5, although quantities are limited. To reserve a set, or to make any other donation to the cause, please contact the SVC skipper at adavis@svc.edu or 802-447-4671. The post-game Pies-for-Pediatric Cancer event will be held right at the Park; as the Mountaineers line up following the end of game two, anyone who makes a donation of $15 or more will have the opportunity to throw a pie in the face of their favorite player or coach.
To learn more about Go4theGoal, please visit: http://www.go4thegoal.org/. For any questions, or to get involved with Go4theGoal®, please contact Nick Kelleher at nickkelleher@go4thegoal.org.