CLARION – The Clarion University athletic department recently donated nearly $6,000 to The Cancer Center at Clarion Hospital.
 
Spearheaded by the efforts of the women's volleyball team, the football team and the women's soccer team, Clarion athletes raised $5,884 that was donated to The Cancer Center in a check presenting ceremony Dec. 8.
 
“On behalf of Dr. (Robert) Luderer, the entire Cancer Center staff and the administration of Clarion Hospital, we are so grateful to the athletes, to the coaches and to the entire athletic department for their generous donation,” Tracy Myers, The Cancer Center Nurse Manager, said. “As I recently told (Clarion President) Dr. (Karen) Whitney, she should be incredibly proud of these student athletes. The impact this amount of money can do for us is such a gift and it shows what kind of good can come from a partnership between Clarion University and the community.”
 
The money was raised in a variety of ways including t-shirt sales by the volleyball team before and during their Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend Oct. 14-15, a season-long goal-toll program by the soccer team and the sale of blue game-worn jerseys with pink numbers that the football team wore for its Breast Cancer Awareness Day Oct. 15. All three teams were also involved in collecting donations and additional fundraising efforts.
 
This was the fifth year Clarion's volleyball program under the direction of fifth-year head coach Jennifer Mills has held a Breast Cancer Awareness Match, while football and soccer joined the cause this season.
 
“This is a true team effort,” Clarion athletic director Dave Katis said. “It involves everyone from the head coach to the team managers to the players. I'm really proud of our athletes. They could stand on the sideline and not get involved, but so many of them take leadership roles it's unbelievable.
 
“It's fantastic to be able to keep this money local. To see the people it benefits is overwhelming to all of us. When you see what is going on when you visit The Cancer Center, you want to do something to help. We have been able to convey that to our student-athletes and our coaches, and I would hope our student-athletes take from this and use it as an experience when they move into the world past Clarion.”