Tar Heels Continue To Provide Carolina Dreams
September 12, 2014 | Men's Lacrosse, Carolina Outreach
In 2004, former men's lacrosse midfielder Dave Werry wanted to provide opportunities for UNC student-athletes to connect with children at the North Carolina Children's Hospital, so he founded a program called Carolina Dreams. A decade later, UNC student-athletes continue to fulfill his goals by working together to give back to and connect with the Chapel Hill community.
Organized and run by student-athletes, Carolina Dreams partners with the NC Children's Hospital to give current or former patients and their families the opportunity to visit campus and attend an athletic event with student-athletes.
On Sept. 6, the men's lacrosse team hosted the first Carolina Dreams event of the 2014-15 school year and was able to give four families an unforgettable experience. Children and their families toured the men's lacrosse facilities, visited Tar Heel Town to enjoy the pregame festivities, and cheered on the UNC football team as the Tar Heels took on San Diego State.
"It was such an amazing experience to be able to hang out and enjoy the pre-game experience with some young Tar Heel fans," said Joe Costigan, a redshirt junior on the men's lacrosse team. "It is an outstanding privilege to be able to represent the University and share the Tar Heel spirit with others".
Sixteen members of the men's lacrosse team served as hosts for the Carolina Dreams guests. Student-athletes from other UNC teams helped, too, in what is a collaborative effort among all of the Carolina teams.
Costigan, along with Kelly Devlin (women's lacrosse) and Allen Champagne (football), are this year's Carolina Dreams student-athlete board members. The program hosts seven to eight events throughout the school year including two more this fall: Late Night With Roy on Oct. 3 and the men's soccer game against Virginia on Nov. 1.
