ELON, N.C. – For the fifth straight year, the Elon University baseball team will join forces with much of the collegiate baseball family to help raise money to fight childhood cancer. This season, the Phoenix will partner with the Vs. Cancer Foundation to hold a head-shaving event following its 6:30 p.m. game with Richmond on Thursday, May 19.
Vs. Cancer Foundation
Elon’s Vs. Cancer Donation Page
An event that has been an important cause for the Phoenix team has taken on a greater significance this year. For this season’s event, the baseball team will be partnering with members of the Elon women’s soccer team to raise money that will go directly to Massachusetts General Hospital and the clinical trial that women’s soccer player Nicole Dennion is a part of. Dennion is battling Ewing’s sarcoma.
Players and coaches on the baseball roster will have their heads shaved by members of the women’s soccer team in support of this important cause. Over the last three years, Elon’s head-shaving events raised over $80,828 that went toward fighting childhood cancer. The Phoenix has received a nation-leading 659 donations during its last three events. The 2015 event brought in nearly $32,000 to this cause.
“We have always been amazed and humbled at Elon Baseball’s commitment every year this battle against childhood cancer,” said Chase Jones, founder and CEO of the Vs. Cancer Foundation. “Now, this is one of the greatest opportunities Vs. Cancer has have ever had, to help one of Elon’s own student-athletes, Nicole Dennion, and partner with Mass General Hospital in the funding of her specific clinical trial as she is undergoing treatment in Massachusetts. Because of the Elon community, we have never been prouder to say that we can and will help others beat cancer.”
The Vs. Cancer Foundation works to raise necessary dollars to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts.
According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures 2015, childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of kids and an average of 28 children are diagnosed with cancer each day in the United States alone.
The Vs. Cancer Foundation was started by former University of North Carolina baseball player and childhood cancer survivor Chase Jones, the nephew of former Elon head coach Rick Jones. After being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at age 18, Jones began recruiting people to share his passion for giving support and hope to kids fighting cancer.
For more information on the Vs. Cancer Foundation, or to make a donation to Elon’s fundraising efforts, click on the links above.