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Dickinson Team Heading South to Aid Hurricane Victims

Members and coaches of the Dickinson College men's lacrosse team have chosen to forego a planned trip to England over the winter break in order to travel to Louisiana to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. The team will combine forces with Kirk Wilson, mayor of Carlisle, Pa., from Jan. 15 to 21 in his initiative to adopt the town of Carlisle, La. All 45 Red Devil team members will help residents of the community and members of the Parish of Plaquemines in Louisiana.

"More than 16,000 residents have been displaced," says Wilson. "Over 10,000 structures have been destroyed. The 'Carlisle-to-Carlisle, Plaquemines Parish Disaster Relief' initiative is designed to meet the immediate needs of men, women and children who are returning home for the first time since the hurricane unleashed a 25-foot storm surge on the parish."

The work that the team will do includes organizing and cleaning a donated goods warehouse, assisting the elderly with clearing debris from their homes and helping businesses clean their buildings.

"We consistently talk on our team about making a difference and now we have an opportunity to really do that," says Head Coach Dave Webster. "We are excited about the opportunity to help people who really need it and to do our small part in helping to rebuild that region. We also see this week of work as a wonderful team-building opportunity and a very unique shared experience."

Captain Brian Read also sees this as a way to make a difference. "The seniors wanted to make an impact as a team off the field, and felt that this would be the best way to accomplish this mission. It will make our team closer, and it will affect the lives of many," he explains.

Carlisle, La., is known for its hunting, tourism and wetlands. Plaquemines Parish runs south from New Orleans along the Mississippi River estuary. Because of this vulnerable position, the parish took a beating from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Dickinson College, a private liberal-arts college of about 2,300 students, is located in south central Pennsylvania and is well-known for its global education programs and innovative curriculum. Dickinson became the first college recognized in the newly chartered nation in 1783.

Persons or organizations wishing to aid financially the recovery of Plaquemines Parish can donate funds to "Project Rebuilt Plaquemines" and mail checks to Carlisle-to-Carlisle, 53 W. South St., Carlisle, PA 17013. All donations go directly to the rebuilding of Plaquemines Parish.

For more information, contact Mayor Wilson at (717) 787-2956.

Lacrosse team heads South to aid hurricane victims

By Linda Franz, Dec 18, 2005

Members and coaches of the Dickinson College men’s lacrosse team will forego a winter break trip to England next month to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

All 45 Red Devil team members will join Carlisle Mayor Kirk Wilson in his initiative to adopt the town of Carlisle, La.

“More than 16,000 residents have been displaced,” Wilson says. “Over 10,000 structures have been destroyed.

“The ‘Carlisle-to-Carlisle, Plaquemines Parish Disaster Relief’ initiative is designed to meet the immediate needs of men, women and children who are returning home for the first time since the hurricane unleashed a 25-foot storm surge on the parish.”

Wilson says local financial contributions to the project total nearly $3,000.

The Dickinson College team will split into three groups, each headed by a coach, to perform one of three tasks: organizing and cleaning a donated goods warehouse, assisting the elderly with clearing debris from their homes or helping downtown businesses clean their buildings.