L to R: Deon McLean, Kodey Lightner, Rob Radice, Matt Roman, Gregg Zenerovitz, Matt Kildea
Not only did the Lawrence High School (LHS) varsity football players have a winning season on the gridiron, they executed an even more meaningful feat off the field. On November 14, 2019, one day after World Kindness Day, varsity co-captains Deon McLean, Kodey Lightner, Matt Roman, and Matt Kildea, accompanied by head coach Rob Radice and district athletic director Gregg Zenerovitz, had life-changing experiences as they delivered kindness. What did they do?
The four senior co-captains delivered flowers and $175 gift cards for dinner to four individuals: one was a former LHS teacher and the other three are Lawrence Township residents…all are battling breast cancer. The money was raised by the team’s sale of pink-out t-shirts throughout the fall season. The appreciation shown by the families moved all who participated.
When asked to reflect on the day, the co-captions offered the following responses:
Matt Kildea – “Bringing happiness to the four women today was a great experience and I was really moved by the way each person reacted, it was so genuine.”
Kodey Lightner – “It was my pleasure being a part of what we did today! Knowing that taking a little time out of my day was so helpful to someone else. Making an impact on the field feels great, but making an impact off the field feels 100% better. GO CARDS!”
Deon McLean – “What we did today was honestly amazing, the joy I received from seeing those ladies smile was absolutely amazing. It was amazing to see that doing something like this can truly brighten up a person’s day so much, Really made me feel good today knowing that I had a chance to put a smile on their faces. I am very grateful for the opportunity you and coach Radice presented me and my teammates with today, thank you so much.”
Matt Roman – “It truly was an eye-opening experience to be able to give back to the community in such a positive way. It felt great to give back to these wonderful women in any way possible who don't deserve to be battling this horrible disease.”