Teams Starting Their Season On The Right Foot By Lacing Up For HEADstrong
PHILADELPHIA – With the start of the 2016 spring athletic season, teams are rallying their support for the HEADstrong Foundation by pledging games and lacing-up their cleats for the cause. At $5.00 a pair and 100% of the proceeds supporting HEADstrong’s essential programs and services, their lime green awareness shoelaces are the perfect item to give higher purpose to any season. HEADstrong shoelaces are now available in 35”, 45”, 52” and 60” lengths. Click here, to get your pair of HEADstrong Laces today. Team bundles are also available.
The story and evolution of HEADstrong’s lime green shoelaces are as inspirational as the story of founder Nicholas Colleluori himself. While undergoing treatment, Colleluori was restricted from going outdoors and would occasionally walk laps on floors of the Rhoads Pavilion of the Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Upon being discharged after a lengthy inpatient stay, Colleluori found hope and inspiration while lacing up his sneakers to go home. Colleluori had a brainstorm, to raise awareness about the HEADstrong Foundation through lime green shoelaces. He believed that lime green shoelaces would be an incredible platform for empowering athletes, survivors and supporters to be relentless in the fight against cancer.
His vision was realized in early spring of 2007, when Drexel University’s men’s lacrosse team became the first team to take the field wearing them in competition. Drexel went on to defeat, defending National Champion, University of Virginia in a nationally televised game, in which commentary was devoted to sharing Colleluori’s battle, the HEADstrong mission and the HEADstrong shoelaces. The victory was historic for the Dragons and was the program’s first victory over a number one ranked Division 1 team in any sport.
Over the past 9 years, HEADstrong’s signature lime green shoelaces have become an iconic part of the game of lacrosse and beyond. Just as Colleluori predicted, athletic teams from around the world have laced up to make a difference. To date, more than 400,000 athletes have proudly laced up for the cause.
Today, Nick’s vision is helping patients and their families nationwide navigate the harrowing journey of cancer with an improved quality of life and greater sense of normalcy. In a sense, we are taking the field alongside of those affected and playing a vital role in the lives of so many, who find themselves alone and not prepared to face-off against the disease.
“Nick strongly believed in the power of athletics, in fact and it was importance of being a teammate that inspired him to create this organization and over the past 9 years, together we have stood united in the fight against this cancer. Our impact has been felt nationally with more than 13,000 families receiving assistance. And the demands for our services have never been greater. The irony is that while there have been positive strides in research to better understand cancer, the overwhelming costs of receiving specialized care comes as a great sacrifice, forcing many into financial toxicity. The reality is that there are more people living with cancer than ever before and limited resources are forcing families to make desperate decisions, including foregoing the best possible care to sustain their households. We are encouraging all athletes and all teams to lace-up this season.” Says Cheryl Colleluori, HF President and Nick’s Mom
Please visit www.HEADstrong.org to learn more about how the HEADstrong Foundation is improving lives affected by cancer.
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