REGIS COLLEGE STUDENT-ATHLETES TAKE STAND TO FIGHT CANCER

Weston, Mass.-With September being breast cancer awareness month, several Regis College student-athletes and teams are stepping out to raise awareness, make a difference, and most important, fight cancer.

Regis College student-athletes Andrew LaMacchia (Lynn, Mass.) and Victoria Pappas (Niantic, Conn.) are advocates of cancer research, have lost close friends or family to cancer, and are taking a personal stance to raise awareness of a disease that has affected so many.

"Athletes know people that have had cancer, or have had it themselves and are now in remission," says Pappas. She will be engaging the Regis College community the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 2 in preparation for National LiveStrong Day Oct. 2, which is in connection with the Lance Armstrong LiveStrong Foundation. The athletics department will be co-sponsoring the event with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

During the games of that week various teams will be wearing yellow game jerseys, socks, bracelets or other appropriate forms of attire to bring attention to the cause.

The LiveStrong Foundation connects itself with hundreds of community organizers across the country to raise awareness, funds, and give hope to those with cancer to continue to fight. "We beat cancer, we don't let it beat us," Pappas said.

Each day starting Sept. 28 Pappas will have a different activity planned to raise awareness on campus of the effects of cancer. Regis College professors are being asked to allow people with personal stories relating to cancer to share them when time permits during the day. Also, flyers with statistics, quotes, and index cards with facts will be handed out on campus.

All of the week's events will conclude on Oct. 2, National LiveStrong Day, with "Laps for LiveStrong"; an event planned by Pappas to have departments and athletic teams to raise money by walking around the Regis College track for 12 hours. Pappas is a sophomore member of the field hockey team.

LaMacchia, a sophomore keeper for men's soccer, will wear a pink jersey to commemorate his aunt being diagnosed, and show support for those battling breast cancer throughout the team's games in October.

The Regis College Softball team will join together to walk in Medford, Mass. on Saturday, Sept. 26 to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. The team will wear purple shirts to show support; as well, the team has donated $25 a person for the cause.