If you have gone to any sporting event so far this year here at Saint Anselm, you have likely witnessed the fine play of all of our student-athletes and how they have consistently represented our college with class and dignity in victory as well as defeat. However, what you may not have noticed is what all of our teams do off of the field in service to the surrounding community.
Community service initiatives taken up by the varsity athletic programs have become a tradition on our campus and a display for how the power of sport reaches well beyond the field, ice, or hardwood and affects the lives and wellbeing of people in need. This year, many of our programs have or will be embarking on philanthropic initiatives to raise awareness for a variety of issues that touch people’s lives on a daily basis.
On October 6th, the men’s lacrosse team held the second annual “Purple Ribbon Challenge” at Grappone Stadium. The “Purple Ribbon Challenge,” which raises money for The Michelle Cadorette Fund for Malignant Thymoma Research, brought seven lacrosse programs from across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III including Saint Anselm, the University of Connecticut, and Franklin Pearce—just to name a few. The tournament started through a relationship between our men’s lacrosse team and Saint Anselm alum Michelle Cadorette. According to senior midfielder Ryan Mee, “Michelle Cadorette was a personal friend of the coaching staff and she brought her cause of raising money for Malignant Thymoma Research to the attention of the team.” Last year’s tournament was a great success raising over $2,000.
Just this past August, Michelle Cordorette lost her battle with cancer and the team decided that it would take the field this year in her memory. In Mee’s words: “This year we took the field in memory of Michelle with the same strength and hope that she lived her life with. Our team was lucky enough to develop a relationship with an amazing woman and help raise money for her fund, an opportunity that we are all exceptionally thankful for.” Lacrosse fans should look for the “Purple Ribbon Challenge” to continue for years to come in memory of Michelle.
Like men’s lacrosse, the women’s field hockey team has embarked upon a similar effort to raise funds for breast cancer research. The team held its third annual “Corners for a Cure” event on October 5. Each player secured a scholarship from a family member or an outside sponsor for the game with each sponsor agreeing to donate $30.00 for every offensive corner and an additional $40.00 if a goal was scored off of that corner. The team also sold “Play 4 a Cure” bracelets, which were pink cardboard cutout ribbons with “Hawks” written on them in pink lettering. According to head coach Carolyn King, the initiative has raised more than $18,000 each of the past two seasons.
In what has become a campus-wide favorite, the Saint Anselm men’s and women’s hockey teams have gotten in on the act as well with their yearly “Pink the Rink” fundraiser. Players typically sell pink t-shirts with “Pink the Rink” written on them. During a set of weekend games, fans will wear the t-shirts that they have purchased, resulting in a “pink-out” in Sullivan Arena. Monetary donations are accepted and pink ribbons are sold by the players that are hung on the glass at the entrance to the arena. The women’s team will also wear pink colored jerseys during their weekend games. Senior defenseman Gregory Merrill said, “I think it is an awesome event that brings the entire Anselmian community together and I look forward to being a part of it again this year.”
These are only some of the efforts that are being undertaken by the athletic programs here at Saint Anselm so fans should remain on the lookout for emails and advertisements indicating when these special events are taking place. Throughout the coming months, all members of the college community should look to get involved because all of the initiatives are for great causes and the more involvement the better.