Message to parents and school community
Every year, the Loyola Academy girls’ lacrosse program gives back through a
community service and fundraising initiative. On Wednesday, April 15th, the lacrosse
programs at Loyola Academy and Hinsdale Central High School are teaming up in
support of the Road Home Program: The Center for Veterans and Their Families at
Rush. Rush University Medical Center established the center to address the full
range of challenges facing veterans suffering from trauma-induced disorders and
injuries, as well as the unique needs of family members. Care is available to Veterans
and their families regardless of their ability to pay.
Mission statement
We plan to use the platform of high school girls’ lacrosse to honor and engage our
community in support of local veterans and their family members as they transition
back into civilian life. These heroes deserve our recognition and full support for the
sacrifices they have made to keep our country safe and secure.
With the recent advent of such blockbuster movies like “American Sniper”, the
importance of recognizing and supporting our veterans has become a priority for
most Americans. We think the timing is perfect to highlight Rush’s Road Home
Program and generate philanthropic support to match the Wounded Warrior
Foundation’s recent grant.
Event Components
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Commemorative t-shirts have been underwritten by a Loyola Academy lacrosse
board member and are currently being designed featuring the Road Home logo and
Loyola/Hinsdale logos. All players on both teams (at all levels) will receive and wear
these shirts during warm ups for their games. These shirts will also be available for
purchase by fans.
While creating awareness of this wonderful new Chicago resource for vets is our
primary goal, we enthusiastically welcome donations from players, family members,
and fans from both the Loyola and Hinsdale communities. Go online to securely
donate here: http://rush.convio.net/LoyolaForVets
Prior to the start of the varsity game at 6:15pm, a short ceremony recognizing The
Road Home Program. Active duty military or veterans in the fan section will be
invited out on to the field to be recognized and applauded for their service to our
country before the National Anthem.
Rush philanthropy and Road Home representatives will man an informational table
by the field house to share information, answer questions, and receive walk up
donations.
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The Loyola girls’ lacrosse program (about 70 girls in total) will host a bake
sale at school on Tuesday, April 14th to raise funds for The Road Home. They
will also distribute information to fellow students/faculty about The Road Home
and encourage them to attend the LA vs. Hinsdale game the next night.
Thank you (in advance) for your support of this worthy cause,
Loyola Academy Girls’ Lacrosse Board, Coaching Staff and Players
About the Road Home
More than 75,000 Illinoisans have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11,
2001, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
occur among an estimated one-third of returning veterans.
These invisible wounds of war are complex, highly individualized and can impede
the ability to reintegrate at home and at work. All too often, these conditions go
untreated with tragic consequences: on average, 22 veterans in the U.S. commit
suicide each day.
To address the full range of challenges facing veterans suffering from traumainduced disorders and injuries, as well as the unique needs of family members, Rush
has established The Road Home Program: The Center for Veterans and Their
Families at Rush.
“We want to ensure that Illinois veterans can connect with the resources they need
to take control of their health and family life,” said Mark Pollack, MD, chairperson of
the Department of Psychiatry at Rush. “This center leverages Rush’s unique
strengths in mental health, rehab and other specialties to meet the needs of Chicagoarea veterans and their loved ones.”
Open as of February 2014, The Road Home Program: The Center for Veterans and
Their Families at Rush offers peer-to-peer outreach and service navigation,
evidence-based care for PTSD and TBI, child and family counseling, public
awareness programming, and training for primary care physicians and others.
Rush's center operates in a spirit of collaboration, connecting clients to social
services, education and vocational programming via local organizations. The center
complements the many other important psychiatric and outreach services to
veterans already offered by local Veterans Administration medical centers Edward
Hines, Jr. VA Hospital; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center; and Captain James A. Lovell
Federal Health Care Center.
Services at the Road Home Program are provided regardless of the ability to
pay. For more information, go to www.roadhomeprogram.org.