Lawrence Football Team Takes The Fight To Breast Cancer

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Lawrence High School football team stepped off the gridiron to battle a different foe recently: breast cancer.

On Nov. 14 — one day after World Kindness Day — varsity co-captains Deon McLean, Kodey Lightner, Matt Roman, and Matt Kildea, accompanied by head coach Rob Radice and district athletic director Gregg Zenerovitz, engaged in their own act of kindness.

The four senior co-captains delivered flowers and $175 gift cards for dinner to four individuals who are all battling breast cancer. One is a former Lawrence High School teacher and the other three are Lawrence Township residents.

The money was raised by the team’s sale of pink-out t-shirts throughout the fall. The appreciation shown by the families moved all who participated.

“Bringing happiness to the four women today was a great experience, and I was really moved by the way each person reacted,” Kildea said. “It was so genuine.”

“It was my pleasure being a part of what we did today,” Lightner said. “Knowing that taking a little time out of my day was so helpful to someone else. Making an impact on the field feels great, but making an impact off the field feels 100% better. Go Cards!”

“What we did today was honestly amazing,” McLean said. “The joy I received from seeing those ladies smile was absolutely amazing. It was amazing to see that doing something like this can truly brighten up a person’s day so much. It really made me feel good today knowing that I had a chance to put a smile on their faces. I am very grateful for the opportunity you and coach Radice presented me and my teammates with today. Thank you so much.”

“It truly was an eye-opening experience to be able to give back to the community in such a positive way,” Roman said. “It felt great to give back to these wonderful women in any way possible who don't deserve to be battling this horrible disease.”