MSHLAX 6th Grade Boys Team Fundraises for Town's First-Responders

On Saturday, May 16th starting at 9:00 AM, the Millburn-Short Hills Lacrosse Club's 2026 Boys team will run a marathon relay to support the township's first responders. Keeping it socially distant, the relay will begin with a member of the team in the Wyoming section of town who will run from his home over a 1-mile-ish course to the home of the next player...while carrying his stick and cradling a ball. When each boy reaches the end of his leg, he will pass the ball (from a distance of more than six feet!) to the next boy.

The relay will progress from Wyoming to South Mountain and then through Glenwood, Hartshorn and Deerfield, with the last of the 26 boys finishing his route at the Gero Park fire station. The boys will cover just over a 26.2-mile marathon distance.

Each boy has established a time goal for his route and has been raising pledges through GoFundMe, pledge sheets and asks of friends and family far beyond Millburn. Some boys have even recorded videos that were sent to friends and family asking for contributions.

As of Tuesday, May 12, the boys have raised over $2,100 for the township's Volunteer First Aid Squad, Police Benevolent Association and Fire Department.

"This is a special group of boys, and I've been lucky to coach many of them for these last six years. They have such team spirit and really enjoy being with one another," said Jonathan Justice, one of the team's coaches. "While we still can't all be together, this fundraiser gives the boys a common goal and a way to accomplish something as a team, even if we're socially distant. It's even better that they can do all of this while giving back to those who keep us and our town safe."

Over the years, the boys have grown together as friends and lacrosse players. The team has earned a winning record in each of its last four seasons and many of the boys have expanded their skills in the off-season playing with various travel clubs. More recently, the team has enjoyed being coached by Millburn High School Varsity Boys lacrosse coaches, led by MHS Varsity Head Coach Brian Stromko. The team has competed successfully as a "township club" in several travel tournaments usually dominated by select travel clubs, including winning a championship in one tournament and a winning record as an "A" bracket team in another. In the team's 2019 regular season, the boys finished with a record of 12-5, outscoring their opponents 122-73 and holding opponents to 4 or fewer goals in 10 of those games.

Before all club activities were suspended on March 13th, the 6th grade boys team had been hard at work in a pre-season that began this year in February. The boys had been participating in clinics led by Coach Stromko and the MHS varsity coaches as well as pre-season conditioning workouts at the high school track and the newly turfed Library field.

"I know the boys are all disappointed to lose a full season of lacrosse, but I know they'll come back strong in 2021 and perhaps even fall 2020 if we're allowed to play then," said Justice. "Until then, I hope their friends, family and fellow Township residents will support them and their efforts to raise money for our first responders."

To donate, follow this link to the team's GoFundMe page, and be on the lookout this Saturday, May 16th starting at 9:00 AM for boys running with lacrosse sticks.