The men's lacrosse team spent an afternoon in October cleaning up Ferry Point Park in NYC.

On a sunny autumn day in October, the men’s lacrosse team headed east to compete in an annual fall lacrosse scrimmage, but more importantly, dedicate time and energy to serve the NYC community.

Their mission was to remove waste from Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, a site that is regularly littered with objects that wash upon the shore from the East River.

Working alongside the Raiders were two former Colgate lacrosse players, Andrew Aicher ’16, and co-founder of the eco-friendly clothing company Fair Harbor, Jake Danehy ’16.

“Ferry Point Park is unique because it’s a peninsula extending into the East River, underneath the Whitestone Bridge,” said Danehy. “It captures a lot of plastic waste from Manhattan and surrounding areas that isn’t properly disposed of. We often lead cleanups there because, no matter how many times we go, there's always more to clean.”

Danehy said he was excited to work with the Colgate lacrosse team for a cleanup that removed a substantial amount of trash.

“It was a great day,” he said. “Coach Karweck and I have been trying to organize a cleanup together for the last few years, and I’m glad we were finally able to make it happen. The team came with great energy, and we had a ton of fun.”

Jake Danehy ’16 talks to the team after the group finished cleaning Ferry Point Park.

Karweck said he was pleased to see his program work alongside alumni to make an impact on a community. 

“We are so proud to be a small part of Jake and Caroline’s mission at Fair Harbor, and happy to be able to make an impact today.” Karweck said.

In all, more than 60 current and former members of the men’s lacrosse program spent the afternoon collecting trash. Everyone was given a garbage bag. When their work was done, nearly every bag was filled to the brim.

For the student-athletes, it was gratifying to see the park restored to a cleaner state. The volume of trash was shocking as well.

“This eye-opening and feel-good experience allowed the team to understand that the little things matter,” said junior midfielder Ryan Favaro ’26. “It was a great day, sunny and warm, and being by the river cleaning up garbage for an alum of the team, and helping the city, made for a fulfilling experience.”

Fellow teammate, Jack Turner ’25, said it felt great to give back to a good cause.

“The experience of cleaning up the park was phenomenal,” he said. “Our team believes that gratitude is a core value that shapes everything we do. Participating in the shoreline cleanup was a perfect way to express our appreciation for this local community and the environment.”

Danehy co-founded Fair Harbor with his sister, Caroline Danehy ’19, while they were college students. The siblings from Larchmont, N.Y., wanted to develop a clothing line with products made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Their vision quickly came to life at Colgate, where they won grants through the University’s Thought Into Action Entrepreneurship Institute Student Incubator to help develop their product. 

In less than a decade, they formed a stylish lifestyle brand with their headquarters in New York City.

When the cleanup with Colgate was complete, Jake Danehy shared the story of one his lacrosse teammates, Clark Perkins ’18. Perkins was close friends with Danehy and passed away in a surfing accident in 2021. Danehy honored his friend by creating a new design of shorts, dubbed Clark Anchors, which were inspired by the color of Clark’s eyes. 

After sharing Perkins’ story with the team, he doled out Clark Anchors to everyone. 

And for the Raiders, working with a Colgate Men’s Lacrosse alumnus on his quest for a cleaner shoreline made the event more special.

“I love the fact that the cleanup not only helped the environment, it introduced our guys to the vision of one of our alum’s business, and finally, that it allows us to continue to honor Clark by wearing his shorts!” Karweck said. “The whole day was special, and it truly made us closer as a team.  Thank you to Jake, Andrew, and Fair Harbor for making it happen.”