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Women’s Lacrosse Lends Hand to Grieving Family
September 13, 2012
Members of Keuka's women's lacrosse team are collecting bottles and cans as part of a fundraising effort to aid the Shiley family in North Carolina. Kellie Thompson Shiley, a 2002 UNC graduate and member of the women's lacrosse team, died July 16 after complications from giving birth to twins, and left three young children behind.
Kelly Lickert grew up playing lacrosse, from a successful high school career at nearby Penn Yan Academy to starring for the Limestone (S.C.) College women’s lacrosse team, graduating as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
The third-year coach of Keuka College’s women’s lacrosse team knows just how tightly-knit the lacrosse community is, so when she heard the tragic news about the unexpected death of Kellie Thompson Shiley, the former University of North Carolina player who died July 16 after complications with the delivery of twin girls, Lickert wanted to do what she could for this grieving family.
For the past two weeks, members of Keuka’s women’s lacrosse team have been collecting bottles and cans. The goal: donating 100 percent of the proceeds from the can and bottle drive to the Kellie Thompson Shiley Family Trust, which has been established to support Shiley’s husband, Ryan, their young son, Landon (2) as well as Blake and Paige, the twin girls Shiley gave birth to before passing away due to complications.
Lickert conservatively estimates more than $100 has already been collected for the family, but she’s not stopping there. She wants members of the Keuka community to do their part to aid this family as they attempt to carry on without Mrs. Shiley, who was a 2002 graduate of the University of North Carolina.
Lickert has set a realistic goal of raising more than $250 for the fund, and with more than two weeks remaining in the drive, she is confident the lacrosse team can exceed her goal.
Anyone looking to donate their bottles or cans can either drop them off at Lickert’s office, located on the second floor of the Wagner House, or track down one of Keuka’s women’s lacrosse players.
“Regardless of the fact that we don’t know her or know her family or have any ties to the UNC program, it’s a good opportunity to be able to help others out, and anytime you can do that is a positive,” said Lickert, who graduated from Limestone in 2009 as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
“This is something where these three children have to grow up without a mother, and that’s sad. Just to be able to be a little part of helping them out for when the kids are grown up, it s a nice, positive reinforcement and sends a good message. Every little bit helps, every penny will be put to good use.”
For people looking to donate cans or bottles, please make sure the cans and bottles are thoroughly washed out, and that they qualify for the five-cent New York State bottle return.
For those who want to make a secure donation to the fund, visit http://www.giveforward.com/kelliethompsonshileyfamilytrust.
The group has set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to provide for the futures of Ryan Shiley and the three young children, and so far, more than $27,000 has been donated to the fund.
The online fundraiser, as well as the bottle and can drive being run by Lickert and her lacrosse student-athletes, both end on Sept. 27.
