Release courtesy of Alison Wenger of the LFG
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football coaches recently joined more than 110 other college coaches for the third annual Lauren´s First and Goal Football Camp on Sunday, June 17 at Otterbein University. Nearly 500 high school student-athletes attended the camp, which raised more than $16,000 for pediatric brain tumor research.
“We are thankful to have had so many coaches come here today and volunteer their time for a great cause,” said Otterbein first-year head coach Tim Doup. “People don´t always get a chance to see what coaches are able to do behind the scenes, and this event is an attribute to that.”
The camp is the primary fundraiser for Lauren´s First and Goal Foundation, with all proceeds going directly to its mission of providing financial support for brain tumor research and cancer services, offering financial and emotional support to families living with pediatric cancer, and increasing awareness of the disease. Locally, donations help support pediatric oncology patients at Nationwide Children´s Hospital.
“I love the location in central Ohio, but more than that, I love the people here,” said LFG founder and Lafayette College defensive coordinator John Loose. “Everyone is so hospitable and it really serves as a great venue to do Lauren´s First and Goal.”
During the one-day camp, players receive instruction in a variety of offensive and defensive skills from college coaches from around the country. More than 110 college coaches representing colleges and universities from Ohio and neighboring states volunteered at the event. Ohio State University head football coach Urban Meyer served as the guest speaker, implementing a theme of “weathering the storm” to the crowd.
Lauren´s First and Goal has raised a total amount of $132,212 so far this year. The ninth annual camp was recently held at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., attracting a record-high 2,105 participants. LFG was created in 2004 by John and Marianne Loose in honor of their 15-year-old daughter Lauren, a pediatric brain tumor survivor.