Lacrosse Mustache Madness is Back With a Goal to Grow $315,000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jennifer Hoffman  

Phone: 610-461-5987 ext.303   

Email: [email protected]

HEADstrong’s Lacrosse Mustache Madness Enters 11th Year With A Goal To Grow $315,000 For The Cause

(HOLMES, PA) – For the college lacrosse community, fall is a very special time of year.  It’s a time when teams begin laying a foundation, focused on executing their vision in an effort to move the needle in the spring.  It’s a time when new faces emerge as key role players and veterans take the leadership reigns. It’s a time filled with team traditions, alumni scrimmages and most importantly mustaches or should we say “Lax Staches” in support of the HEADstrong Foundation.  Lacrosse Mustache Madness banter is percolating across the college lacrosse landscape and teams are fired up to be part of such a special tradition in the sport.   

With classes back in session and team practices underway, the time has come to rally your team, ditch those razors, grow the most outrageous facial hair in an effort to raise funds allowing the HEADstrong Foundation to strengthen their commitment to families overcome by cancer.  Welcome, Lacrosse Mustache Madness 11. This year, Lacrosse Mustache Madness organizers Ken Clausen and Pat Colleluori have set a goal of $315,000 denoting the 315,000 families who will be devastated by a cancer diagnosis during the campaign. CLICK HERE, to register your team for Lacrosse Mustache Madness. 

Will there be amazing contests? YES.  Will there be social media challenges? YES.  Will there be prizes? YES! Which team will wear the best mustache?  Who will be the most original? Which team will integrate their mustaches into their roster headshots?  Which team will be reign Lax Stache Supreme?     

The Lacrosse Mustache Madness community is buzzing and ready to rally this fall around Cole Neville, a 19-year old student-athlete and member of the club lacrosse team at the University at Albany who currently battling Stage 2 Testicular Cancer and requires surgery later this semester.  Cole was diagnosed late last semester and spent summer undergoing treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering. He is hoping that his story will inspire fellow college laxers to join Lacrosse Mustache Madness.  

 

Registration is NOW open and will continue through the duration of the campaign.  Visit www.LaxStacheMadness.com to get your fundraising team setup.  Teams are encouraged to assemble and register as soon as possible.  The Lacrosse Mustache Madness fundraising push will begin on October 1st but things will really heat up on October 19th, the official kick-off of the campaign.  Be sure to follow the action at @LaxStacheMadness and @HEADstrongFND.    

Lacrosse Mustache Madness honors HEADstrong founder Nicholas Colleluori by officially kicking-off on his birthday October 19th and concluding on November 28th, the anniversary of his untimely passing.

One of the most unique components of Lacrosse Mustache Madness will begin on November 1st, when all registered teams will be seeded to compete in the National Stache-Off Against Cancer; a survive and advance style bracket tournament in which teams go head-to-head against one another. The National Stache-Off Against Cancer has become one of the hallmarks of the 8-week campaign, as it pairs both teams against each other despite level, division or status. 

Lacrosse Mustache Madness was created by former professional lacrosse player and UVA standout Ken Clausen, who was inspired to use his own facial hair to honor HEADstrong founder Nicholas “HEAD” Colleluori, an NCAA lacrosse player from Hofstra University who was terminally diagnosed with cancer in 2005. Colleluori’s public fight from the sidelines captivated the nation and from his hospital bed he created an organization focused on empowering student-athletes to improve lives affected by the disease.  After enduring 14-months of treatment, Colleluori tossed his razor and grew a mustache in the last weeks of his life as an emotional buffer due to his declining physical appearance. In an uncontrollable situation, Colleluori’s mustache was a positive buffer and conversation starter which was also a way for him to feel “normal” again.

“Every fall, the excitement builds and together we as a lacrosse community unite through our facial hair to make a statement, the way that Nick Colleluori did.  Together our mustaches will not only pay homage to a great and courageous hero but will raise essential funding so that Nick’s vision of HEADstrong can play the role of helping families paralyzed due to the overwhelming circumstances that their cancer has put them in.  It’s quite humbling to see our past impact, it certainly speaks to the generosity of this community, but the demand for HEADstrong’s services has never been more needed, especially with their Nick’s House expansion plans into New York City. We hope that every college lacrosse player will rally around Cole Neville who is fighting and together we will be the difference.”  Ken Clausen, LMM Founder  

To date, more than 12,000 collegiate student-athletes, representing more than 200 colleges and universities have participated in Lacrosse Mustache Madness.  Additionally, the campaign has engaged more than 24,701 donors having raised more than $1,413,284.75 to support families overcome by cancer and fund nights at Nick’s House for families displaced in the pursuit of treatment.  

Proceeds from the campaign will aid families overcome by cancer and underwrite nights at Nick’s House, a guest family home operated by the HEADstrong Foundation for families forced to travel in the pursuit of advanced cancer treatment and clinical trials.  

Learn more about how you can use your mustache and facial hair to improve lives affected by cancer at www.LaxStacheMadness.com or www.HEADstrong.org 

 

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