By Rachel Schneider

Once a year our halls fill with spirited lady rebels, decked out in purple, ready for the annual Lacrosse Out Cancer game. This is no ordinary game for our girls lacrosse team, but rather a special opportunity for the girls to shift their competitive focus and play for a meaningful cause.
This game honors a dedicated and extraordinary coach that Great Neck girls were lucky to have lead their team. Coach Jane Maher passed away from pancreatic cancer several years ago and is remembered for her leading role in promoting female athletics in our schools and developing our girls sports program to what it is today. Every year Great Neck North and South lacrosse teams play against each other in her honor, commemorating the tremendous role she played in our district. The host of the charity game rotates each year between Great Neck North and South. In addition to the Lacrosse Out Cancer game, our South team holds a bake sale and sells shirts to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
According to varsity lacrosse player junior Sophie Williams, “Lacrosse out cancer is such a special game because not only are we playing our rival team, Great Neck North, but we are also playing for an amazing cause. I love playing lacrosse and playing for a cause such as fighting cancer. It makes it so much more special to me. Also, we are even more encouraged as a team to play as hard as we can and to win.”
Our field hockey team also honors Maher in their “Play for the Cure” charity game, which is a county wide field hockey event. The girls remember Maher by wearing matching t-shirts with her initials.