Mercyhurst lacrosse goalie provides example of campaign’s creativity

Division II student-athletes have been affiliated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for six years, and during that time, it’s been almost as interesting to monitor the creativity of the fund-raisers as to track the money they have raised.

Several more examples have cropped up recently, including an effort from Dowling’s athletics department that produced a record total for one school.

But while entire teams or other groups strive to fund one child’s wish, Mercyhurst senior lacrosse goalie Jason LaShomb took it upon himself to do so.

LaShomb is making his 123 saves this season count for more than just his fellow Lakers. Through a project he called “Saves for Kids,” LaShomb used flat donations and others on a per-save basis to collect more than $4,000 and personally fund a wish. The wish recipient is a girl from Erie, Pennsylvania, who will be going on a shopping spree for new school clothes this fall, complete with a limo ride and lunch at her favorite restaurant.

LaShomb is an elementary and special-education major who recently was named Mercyhurst’s male student-athlete of the year. He said he feels grateful for both his personal and team successes and said his motivation with the “Saves for Kids” campaign is to give back to his community.

Mercyhurst’s starting goalie for the past two years, LaShomb earned the Kelly Award for Most Outstanding Goalie in Division II and was also named to the all-America team and the all-East Coast Conference first team.

Watch a video on LaShomb here.

Meanwhile, the Texas Woman’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee surpassed its goal of $2,000 for the Make-A-Wish campaign this year through spare-change collections at home games, halftime drawings for Pioneers memorabilia and creating a “Pioneer Chain of Love” through donations made at the school’s student union.

“It has been an incredible year for this group, and we are so proud that we have not only reached but exceeded our goal for this year,” said SAAC president Jennifer Kingsbury. “We are extremely grateful for the generosity of our fans and fellow students.”

The Texas Woman’s SAAC presented a check to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the school’s 2008-09 athletics awards banquet May 3.