Part of $20,000 effort by Bentley University which was donated to Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Institute

RINDGE, N.H. (December 20, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University volleyball team once again proved to be difference-makers in the community in 2013, as the Ravens during the fall raised $5,000 for rare cancer research through the “Dig Lavender” initiative.

The initiative was held in conjunction with Bentley University volleyball and six other programs throughout the Northeast, as the eight teams combined to raise $20,000, which was presented to the Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Institute in Boston in early December.

The fundraising drive was put together by Bentley, whose head coach Sandy Hoffman was diagnosed with Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma earlier (ACC) this year, and has been treated at Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s since that time. ACC is one of the world’s rarest cancers, as the color lavender is used as the awareness tool for the various forms of rare cancer just like pink is used for breast cancer awareness.

The teams raised funds throughout the fall season, including Franklin Pierce which held a Dig Lavender game in late October, as the team wore lavender colored warm-up shirts that were also sold on the athletic department’s online team store (proceeds from the sales also went to Dana Farber).

The Ravens also solicited donations from family and friends for the worthy cause, led by junior Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.), who served as the team organizer for the lavender money. Swiderski has served in that role each of the last three seasons, including the previous two seasons when Franklin Pierce brought in money for breast cancer research through the “Dig Pink” initiative.

Under Swiderski’s leadership, the Ravens raised $1,500 her freshman year, then topped it with $3,000 her sophomore year, and this year went $2,000 beyond that.

“The goal each year is to raise more than the previous season,” she said. “We had our team meeting in the preseason and each player had the chance to set a personal goal for themselves, and mine was to break last year’s total for Coach Hoffman and her courageous battle. Bentley and Franklin Pierce might be rivals on the court, but we as a volleyball community should look out for each other off it. I was glad to be a part of this important cause.”

Head coach Stephanie Dragan was pleased with the response from her team, as she stresses to her student-athletes the importance of winning off the court as well as on it.

“Our decision to support Dig Lavender as a program was a personal one,” she said. “Sandy provided a personal connection for us.  I am continuously amazed at the teams’ effort in support of cancer awareness and research through their fundraising.  Each year we set a goal to raise more than the previous year, and I am appreciative to everyone that has helped us in obtaining our goal.   We are happy we can help (as little as it may be) in the battle of this ugly disease.”

Ravens volleyball has proven to be one of the top all-around programs in the Franklin Pierce Department of Athletics over the past two seasons. In addition to qualifying for the NCAA Division II Tournament twice during that time, the Ravens have posted one of the highest team GPAs in the department and the Northeast-10 Conference, while also taking part in several community outreach initiatives such as cancer awareness and fundraising for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing last April.

For more information on Franklin Pierce volleyball, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu. To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce volleyball apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)