June 17, 2008
EASTON, Pa. - A record 1,633 high school students turned out for Lauren's First and Goal on June 1, a one-day clinic that teaches football players the tricks of the gridiron, held at Metzgar Fields Athletic Complex. The campers received instruction from 246 volunteer college coaches and raised $135,000 for pediatric brain tumor research and pediatric cancer services.
"I want to thank all the coaches and volunteers for working so hard to make Lauren's First and Goal such a success," said camp director and Lafayette defensive coordinator John Loose. "By the end of this year we will hit the half-million dollar mark in the five years since the camp's inception."
Loose's daughter Lauren, whose battle with an inoperable brain tumor is the motivation for the annual event, was in attendance and spoke to the crowd, thanking everyone for their participation. Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was the guest speaker and addressed the crowd with a motivational speech.
Lauren's First and Goal, which started five years ago with just 56 volunteer coaches and 300 campers, has grown into one of the largest one-day football camps in the country. In addition to coaches, more than 40 current and former members of the Lafayette football team lent a helping hand in instructing the high school students.
"Our players did a great job," Loose said. "They set up the entire camp on Saturday, helped instruct on Sunday and then cleaned up right afterwards."
The camp will hold a second one-day clinic at the University of South Florida on Sunday and expects to put donations for the year over $200,000. This is the first year Lauren's First and Goal has expanded outside the Lafayette campus and many former Lafayette players will be present to help with the camp.
The non-contact clinic was open to students entering grades 9-12 in the fall of 2007. The minimum donation is $25, with all of the proceeds from the camp directly benefiting Lauren's First and Goal Foundation, a 501c3 tax-exempt charitable organization.
Through the generosity of its volunteers and sponsors, all of the proceeds went directly to the pediatric brain tumor research and cancer services.
