Team IMPACT Improving The lives Of Children, College Athletes
BOSTON (CBS) -- Norah Weeks of Lexington is Boston College's youngest women's lacrosse player. She is nine-years-old.
Norah was signed on to the team last January as a part of Team IMPACT, a non-profit that matches children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses with college athletic teams.
Several months before, Norah signed she was diagnosed with brain cancer.
"It was quite honestly has been life-changing for us," said Lauren Weeks, Norah's mother.
The Game Day Gala for #TeamImpact is underway. The organization pairs up kids with chronic illness to college sports teams @cbsboston #WBZ pic.twitter.com/92AkLewl7b
— Mike LaCrosse (@MikeLaCrosseWBZ) April 26, 2017
"We go to games, they come to her Jimmy Fund appointments, they have really inspired her and given her strength back -- her diagnosis kind of took that away from her," Weeks continued.
In its five years, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,100 children with 35,000 participating college athletes from over 450 schools.
Wednesday's Team IMPACT 'Game Day Gala' at the Seaport World Trade Center was a fundraiser featuring showcased many supportive, familiar faces, including Bob Kraft.
It is about "giving them a good feeling about themselves and feeling part of something bigger than themselves," said Kraft. "We need more of that in America today of people working together."
Team IMPACT's C0-founder Jay Calnan also showed appreciation.
"The generosity and support we've had from so many people in the community here has enabled us to take this from a little local charity to a national organization," he said.
Weeks added, "I am so happy that it is so large and so many, so much money is going to come in and help so many more kids. It's amazing and kind of awe-inspiring."
