Bergeron, Gay, Heller and Iacovino Set The Example During Go Lime 2019
(HOLMES, PA) – This past lacrosse season, athletes from across the country were inspired to use their performance on the field to assist the charitable mission of the HEADstrong Foundation through participating in Go Lime. Four athletes in particular including; Gavin Bergeron of Littleton High School, Tanner Gay of the Patriot Stars, Jared Heller of Brimmer & May School and Nico Iacovino of Downingtown East High School were standouts in this years campaign.
Nico Iacovino has raised almost $500 for the goalie-specific campaign. Iacovino, a junior at Downingtown East High School in Downingtown, Pa., has garnered All Ches-Mont League honors the past two years, as well as being named the team’s MVP his freshman year and receiving the Coaches’ Choice award his sophomore year. He is committed to play at Villanova University after finishing his high school career.
Iacovino discovered the Go Lime campaign through the Net Nation camps. After finding out that Drew Adams did a campaign last year, he decided to do one this year.
Thinking about why he chose to do this campaign, Iacovino said, “My grandfather passed away when I was young to cancer, so that’s always been in the back of my head. When I saw this, I thought this would be great. It’s not just donating money, it works with how well I’m playing in season. I figured it would be a great way to involve my family members in my season who live away and also raise money for a great cause.”
Iacovino said, “It’s all fairly easy to set up. My coaches all loved it, my family members all wanted to jump in and donate, which is awesome. This is really the first time I’ve done something charity-oriented by myself, so that felt good. It just makes every save that much better in a game. Just knowing that each save I make, that’s money going to charity.”
Midfielder Jared Heller has raised an estimated $1,300 in his campaign. Heller will graduate from the Brimmer and May School in Chestnut Hill, Mass. this spring and head to Haverford College in the fall. Heller was a four-year captain and starter of the Brimmer and May lacrosse team, named First Team All-Conference the first three years of his career before suffering a season-ending injury at the beginning of his senior year. His junior year, Heller was named the team MVP and claimed the school’s record of 46 goals and 61 points in a single season.
When asked if he was dedicating his Go Lime campaign to anyone specifically, Heller said, “My little cousin actually has a form of childhood cancer, so I thought that would be a really great way to support him and the battle he’s gone through. I’m really happy to say I’ve been a part of Go Lime and helped raise money to fight cancer.”
Heller stated, “The more you score and the better you play, the more it benefits a multitude of people, so I think it’s just a win-win for everybody.”
After his injury this year, the Go Lime campaign allowed Heller to keep things in perspective. He said, “I’m still really grateful that I’ll be healed and be able to play in 3 months, where some kids who have cancer won’t get that opportunity. It’s really made me appreciate the opportunities I have and how healthy I’ve been up to this point, and even after this, I’ll still be able to play. It’s really made me appreciate things more.”
Faceoff specialist Tanner Gay has raised an estimated $2,716, which surpassed his $2,000 goal – and he raised this before he even stepped on the field. Tanner said that after his dad told him about HEADstrong and the campaign on the way home from a practice one day, the campaign sparked his interest and he decided to be a part of Go Lime. Tanner said that he was playing for all of the people in his life who’ve been affected by cancer.
Erin Gay, Tanner’s father, said when asked about the campaign, “We were all for it, and we fully supported him doing it. A lot of friends and family have really supported him, too. Now he has another purpose of why he’s playing.”
The campaign’s top fundraiser overall was faceoff specialist Gavin Bergeron, from Littleton, Massachusetts. Bergeron, who is committed to the University of Vermont, raised $4,174 for HEADstrong. Bergeron initially heard about the Go Lime campaign at the Faceoff Academy National Showcase, and after hearing the presentation about the Go Lime campaign, he knew immediately he wanted to be a part of it.
When asked about why he wanted to take part in the campaign, Bergeron said, “My little cousin Aiden lives on Long Island and is really close to me. He was diagnosed with leukemia and I’ve dedicated the last couple of seasons to him.”
Bergeron taped Aiden’s initials to his helmet as a reminder of who he plays for. He continued, “It just makes you think about the battle that kid’s going through every day, and that makes everything that’s happening to you not seem so bad.”
Blending the relationship with his cousin and his passion for lacrosse, Bergeron said, “I knew I wanted to do it – I was thinking about Aiden and it was perfect. It gives people an opportunity to donate per faceoff that you win for your spring season. I think it’s a really cool thing; it lets people know how you’re doing in the season and it lets you donate money. I think it was a great idea.”
Through being a part of the Go Lime campaign, your performance on the field can help raise money and awareness for HEADstrong, all while helping us further our mission of improving lives affected by cancer. The Go Lime campaign provides athletes with experience in community service while allowing them to gain a new perspective on playing the game they love, all while teaching valuable life lessons and helping people dealing with the effects of cancer.
You can learn more about the HEADstrong Foundation here, and you can learn more about the Go Lime campaign here.
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