Message to parents and school community

Every year, the Loyola Academy girls’ lacrosse program gives back through a community service and fundraising initiative. On Wednesday, April 15th, the lacrosse programs at Loyola Academy and Hinsdale Central High School are teaming up in support of the Road Home Program: The Center for Veterans and Their Families at Rush. Rush University Medical Center establishedthe center to address the full range of challenges facing veterans suffering from trauma-induced disorders and injuries, as well as the unique needs of family members. Care is available to Veterans and their families regardless of their ability to pay.

Mission statement

We plan to use the platform of high school girls’ lacrosse to honor and engage our community in support of local veterans and their family members as they transition back into civilian life. These heroes deserve our recognition and full support for the sacrifices they have made to keep our country safe and secure.

With the recent advent of such blockbuster movies like “American Sniper”, the importance of recognizing and supporting our veterans has become a priority for most Americans. We think the timing is perfect to highlight Rush’s Road Home Program and generate philanthropic support to match the Wounded Warrior Foundation’s recent grant.

Event Components

  • Commemorative t-shirts have been underwritten by a Loyola Academy lacrosse board member and are currently being designed featuring the Road Home logo and Loyola/Hinsdale logos. All players on both teams (at all levels) will receive and wear these shirts during warm ups for their games. These shirts will also be available for purchase by fans.
  • While creating awareness of this wonderful new Chicago resource for vets is our primary goal, we enthusiastically welcome donations from players, family members, and fans from both the Loyola and Hinsdale communities. Go online to securelydonate here:
  • Prior to the start of the varsity game at 6:15pm, a short ceremony recognizing The Road Home Program. Active duty military or veterans in the fan section will be invited out on to the field to be recognized and applauded for their service to our country before the National Anthem.
  • Rush philanthropy and Road Home representatives will man an informational table by the field house to share information, answer questions, and receive walk up donations.
  • The Loyola girls’ lacrosse program (about 70 girls in total) will host a bake sale atschool on Tuesday, April 14th to raise funds for The Road Home. They will also distribute information to fellow students/faculty about The Road Home and encourage them to attend the LA vs. Hinsdale game the next night.

Thank you (in advance) for your support of this worthy cause,

Loyola Academy Girls’ Lacrosse Board, Coaching Staff and Players

About the Road Home

More than 75,000 Illinoisans have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) occur among an estimated one-third of returning veterans.

These invisible wounds of war are complex, highly individualized and can impede the ability to reintegrate at home and at work. All too often, these conditions go untreated with tragic consequences: on average, 22 veterans in the U.S. commit suicide each day.

To address the full range of challenges facing veterans suffering from trauma-induced disorders and injuries, as well as the unique needs of family members, Rush has establishedThe Road Home Program: The Center for Veterans and Their Families at Rush.

“We want to ensure that Illinois veterans can connect with the resources they need to take control of their health and family life,” said Mark Pollack, MD, chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry at Rush. “This center leverages Rush’s unique strengths in mental health, rehab and other specialties to meet the needs of Chicago-area veterans and their loved ones.”

Open as of February 2014, The Road Home Program: The Center for Veterans and Their Families at Rush offers peer-to-peer outreach and service navigation, evidence-based care for PTSD and TBI, child and family counseling, public awareness programming, and training for primary care physicians and others.

Rush's center operates in a spirit of collaboration, connecting clients to social services, education and vocational programming via local organizations. The center complements the many other important psychiatric and outreach services to veterans already offered by local Veterans Administration medical centers Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center; and Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.

Services at the Road Home Program are provided regardless of the ability to pay.For more information, go to