Pitt-Johnstown Lacrosse players ask fellow students for money to help pay for their equipment and donate to a cancer cause.

The fundraising is to take place six times throughout the next two months.

President and Captain Matt Ziance said the fundraisers will consist of wristband sales and T-shirt sales. Players also are to solicit donations outright.

Ziance said the first fundraiser is to be in two weeks, and he hopes to have one every three weeks until the semester’s end.

Captain and Tresurer Drake Watters said the fundraising will be initially for the team’s equipment.

Watters said Lacrosse is an expensive sport and that players need to focus on having all the necessary equipment for their next season.

“I hope that the fundraising plans are lucrative for our organization because fundraising is a vital part  of making sure that we get to play the sport that we love.”

Ziance said the standard payment of referees and also portable nets that will be needed this year for practices can be expensive.

After their equipment, the extra money made through the fundraising is to go to the Headstrong Foundation.

The foundation funds blood cancer research and helps try to make patients and their families more comfortable.

Nicholas Colleluori, recognized as the founder of the Headstrong program, was a Hofstra University lacrosse player who was diagnosed with large B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after his freshman year.

His family now pursues the fight against cancer by utilizing the program he started.

Watters said Headstrong is an important Lacrosse and cancer foundation that the team is happy to help.

“We want to raise $2,000. We feel that this would be a great amount to help us with our equipment needs, but more importantly, to send a sizable donation to the Headstrong foundation.”

Ziance said the team would like to be more recognized on campus, and this is an opportunity for them to show their faces.

He said all the lacrosse players will be involved in all activities or will face game punishments otherwise, but said there shouldn’t be a problem getting them involved.

“We have a great group of guys on the team this year who have their eye on two prizes. We want to win a Keystone Conference Championship, but also raise a lot of money for the Headstrong foundation”

Ziance said the team would like to accomplish all of these offseason goals, and work just as hard on them as they do on the field.

“I have high hopes for the fundraising and philanthropic events that we have planned for this semester.“