Intercollegiate lacrosse event benefits youngster battling brain tumor

Lowin Willoughby

Grove City College’s men’s lacrosse team is teaming up with the HEADstrong Foundation to support 4-year-old Lowin Willoughby of Portersville, Pa., who has been battling a brain tumor for most of her life.

The Wolverines will host NCAA Division I Cleveland State University and NCAA Division II Seton Hill University as part of the foundation's Nick Colleluori Classic games beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 at Robert E. Thorn Field on campus.

Admission is $5. All funds raised from the exhibition will benefit Lowin and her family and help cover expenses related to her treatment.

Lowin’s family has chronicled her treatment journey on the Facebook page Love for Lowin, which has more than 2,000 followers. The men’s lacrosse team recently met Lowin and came away inspired, coach Alec Jernstedt said.

“Our team is excited to host the event and use the day to support the Willoughby family. Meeting Lowin and her family was a real privilege for the guys. She is so full of life and energy and spirit, especially considering what she has gone through,” he said. “One of our team’s core values is to love deeply. She is a sweet example of that. and this weekend is an opportunity for us to love their family well.”

The exhibition starts at 11 a.m. Saturday with a match between Grove City and Cleveland State. It will be the first time in over 20 years that Division III Grove City has hosted a Division I team. Cleveland State will play Seton Hill at 1:30 p.m. and the day wraps up with a 4 p.m. faceoff between Grove City and Seton Hill.

The team has already broken its $3,000 fundraising goal with online donations, but donors can continue to support the effort at headstrong.org. HEADstrong Foundation is a non-profit organization that offers financial, residential, and emotional support to families affected by cancer.

Intercollegiate lacrosse event benefits youngster battling brain tumor

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