| | Published July 25th, 2018
| Rivals join forces for a good cause
| | | Submitted by Emma Workman |  | | Emma Workman, far left, and co-planner Maisy Mills, far right, at with some members of the Oakland Lacrosse Club at the March 30 event night Photo provided |
Division rivals Acalanes and Miramonte faced each other March 30 in a pivotal girls lacrosse game. In the up and down battle, Miramonte narrowly pulled out the win, 13-12. For junior midfielder Emma Workman from Acalanes and senior defender Maisy Mills from Miramonte, however, the game had a larger meaning.
For the last two years Workman and Mills have volunteered for the Oakland Lacrosse Club, a nonprofit that uses lacrosse to develop leadership skills, provide academic support, and wellness education to youth from Oakland public middle schools. Both Workman and Mills served as coaches during the fall program, introducing beginners from Oakland public schools to the sport of lacrosse.
Mills, who will be attending Claremont-Mckenna College next year, shared what she enjoyed about her Oakland Lacrosse experience: "I volunteered for OLC because I loved seeing the spirit and passion of the girls who came out to play lacrosse. For two hours every Sunday they gave practice all they had and had the most fun I've ever seen. I knew I needed to be a part of that energy. I wanted to help organize this fundraiser to allow more and more kids to be a part of the incredible energy that OLC exudes."
Workman explained why her time with Oakland Lacrosse has been so meaningful to her: "Oakland Lacrosse has emboldened me as a player, coach, and person to give my all into everything that I do. The players at OLC have especially inspired me, having a certain resilience and grit that no other lacrosse players, that I've seen, could match."
Workman and Mills valued their experience so much that they decided to join forces and run a joint fundraiser at the Acalanes versus Miramonte game. They helped raise awareness of the OLC through a Gofundme page and an email campaign encouraging people to donate. Collectively they raised $2,000 for the OLC.
"One of my favorite aspects of running Oakland Lacrosse is seeing how the collective lacrosse community comes together to support our organization. I have been especially impressed with Emma and Maisy," said Kevin Kelley, the founder and executive director of the Oakland Lacrosse Club. "Not only are they part of the Oakland Lacrosse high school coaching council, but they took the initiative in creating this joint fundraiser. It is both impressive and inspiring to see young people to see young people take action."
To learn more about the Oakland Lacrosse Club check out www.oaklandlacrosse.org.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA