HAMILTON — Colgate Men's Lacrosse announced it is joining lacrosse teams and players across the country in accepting the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation's LaCROSSe Out Cancer Challenge. The players are using their time and talent to raise visibility about the critical need for increasing support for pediatric cancer research.
 
By accepting the challenge, the team completed 47 days of wall ball this past fall and is in the process of completing 47 days this spring leading up to its LaCROSSe Out Cancer game against Boston University on Friday at 6 p.m. inside Andy Kerr Stadium.
 
Each day, 47 American children are diagnosed with cancer, and more children under 20 years old are lost to cancer annually than any other disease.
 
Colgate head coach Matt Karweck looks forward to increasing awareness about this important cause.
 
"While we play to win on the field, we never lose sight of how lucky we are to be able to do just that. The LaCROSSe Out Cancer Challenge provides our players the opportunity to serve as ambassadors for a cause that is much bigger than them. It teaches our students that each of us has a part to play – on the field and off."
 
"Creating a world without pediatric cancer takes all of us," explained Bonnie Lattimore, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. "Research takes a lot of funding, and progress is limited by a lack of resources. We're grateful to the caring coaches and players for bringing awareness to the critical necessity of transforming pediatric cancer care by supporting research."

Due to research advances, overall survival rates have grown by 70 percent in the past 40 years. Still, about 20 percent of kids with pediatric cancer do not survive today, and two-thirds of those who do will suffer long-lasting chronic health conditions from their treatment. To address these challenges, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation invests in research specifically for children's and adolescents' developing bodies.
 
This year, Colgate accepted the challenge in support of sophomore midfielder Hunter Drouin, who was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor as a toddler. Because of advancements in research, Hunter has been in remission for the past 16 years.
 
The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is proud to have been an integral part in funding the research that created the protocol that today is used worldwide to treat Wilms Tumor.
 
For more information, please visit lacrosseoutcancer.org