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he HEADstrong Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to research and raising awareness to find a cure for blood cancer and to help families affected by the disease. It was founded in 2006 by Nicholas “Head” Colleluori, who was diagnosed with B-cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during his sophomore year of college.

About the Founder
Nicholas Colleluori was a student-athlete playing men's lacrosse at NCAA Division 1 Hofstra University when he was diagnosed with large B-cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Nick was forced to leave Hofstra as he endured chemotherapy, radiation, a stem cell transplant, and other experimental treatments. He passed away in 2006, the same year the Foundation was started.

Mission Statement and Goals of the Foundation
The mission of the HEADstrong Foundation is to tell Nicholas Colleluori's story and to help others with cancer by sharing his experiences. The Foundation also aims to target local youth groups and school districts to empower them to speak out and live healthier lives. The ultimate goal of the HEADstrong Foundation is to raise money for cancer research, awareness, and the cure, and to emphasize the reality that is a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatments in peoples' lives.

Short term goals of the Foundation include some of Colleluori's personal goals. He wanted to get rid of his cancer, have a successful transplant, and go back at watch his team's games at Hofstra. He also wanted to return to Hofstra for academics, to begin training for lacrosse, and to regain the strength, stamina, and weight that he had before his diagnosis and treatment. He ultimately wanted to raise money to cover his medical expenses and start the HEADstrong Foundation.

Long term goals of the HEADstrong Foundation range from starting a scholarship for Delaware Valley student-athletes with cancer, to providing motivational speaking for cancer patients, to even making the HEADstrong Foundation a national foundation (comparable to the National Leukemia and Lymphoma Societies).

HEADstrong in the Lacrosse Community
The HEADstrong Foundation has a strong presence in the lacrosse community throughout the United States, and teams from all over the country come together to raise money and awareness for the Foundation and for finding a cure for cancer.

The Foundation benefits from various fundraisers and awareness movements like Lacrosse Mustache Madness, the Lime Light Gala, and the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)'s partnership with HEADstrong to make the month of April HEADstrong Cancer Awareness Month. Other college lacrosse teams fundraise for and support the Foundation; for example, Mount Saint Mary's University raised over $7,000 for the HEADstrong Foundation, and Colorado State University participated in Mustache Madness.

The MLL started the first-ever "Burn Cancer Week" during the week of July 31 through August 2, 2014, with players wearing lime green shoelaces and coaches wearing lime green polo shirts to show support for the foundation.

Hofstra University's Athletics department renamed the Pride's Unsung Hero Award in Colleluori's honor. The Nick Colleluori Unsung Hero Award recognizes a male and female student-athlete who have helped their teams achieve success that wasn't measured in statistical ways and that exemplified what the Hofstra Athletics program strives to represent.

2005
Nick Colleluori was a student-athlete at Hofstra with his younger brother, Michael, before he was diagnosed with large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and began treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.

2006
Colleluori saw a lack of resources for cancer patients and their families and established the HEADstrong Foundation. He endured a stem cell transplant, and he passed away at the age of 21.

2007
The HEADstrong Foundation hosted the Nick Colleluori Classic, which was its first fundraising event. The HEADstrong awareness laces were introduced, and the HEADstrong Lacrosse Club made its debut. The Foundation also assisted patients financially through the Nicholas E. Colleluori Financial Grant Program.

2008
HEADstrong partnered with Brine Lacrosse, Warrior Sports, and Be The Match.

2009
The HEADstrong Foundation created the Nicholas E. Colleluori Lymphoma Research Fund, which was at the Abramson Cancer Center. They also began delivering comfort kits to patients.

2010
The HEADstrong Foundation hosted the inaugural Lime Light Gala. They also launched the first Lacrosse Mustache Madness.

2011
The HEADstrong Foundation opened Nick's House.

2012
The Foundation received the Fellowship of Christian Athlete's Peter Kohn Award, and they were also named a charitable partner of Major League Lacrosse (MLL).

2013
HEADstrong received the Colonial Athletic Conference John H. Randolph Inspirational Award and was inducted into the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame. The Foundation expanded its patient services through the HEAD2head program, and they were also named the charitable partner of NCAA Men's Lacrosse.

2014
HEADstrong received the Hope Award and established their annual giving campaign. The Foundation's president, Cheryl Colleluori, was appointed to the Abramson Center Cancer Advisory Board.

2015
HEADstrong reached the $7 million mark and assisted over 12,000 patients to date. They published a children's book called "Laced Together", began online fundraising campaigns, and were named charitable partner of Teva Pharmaceutical.

2016
HEADstrong reached the $9 million mark and assisted over 13,000 patients to date. They began the inaugural capital campaign and expanded the Nick's House initiative. The Foundation partnered with USILA to establish the NCAA collegiate lacrosse awareness week, and Lacrosse Mustache Madness broke fundraising records. The Foundation also formed a Patient Advocacy Committee, received a resolution from the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce for their work in childhood cancers, and partnered with STX. HEADstrong president Cheryl Colleluori recceived the Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini Award for Community Service.