HBO's 'Real Sports' Features Northwestern, Friends of Jaclyn
from press release
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Over the past five seasons,
the Northwestern lacrosse team has drawn an extensive amount of
national coverage for both its dominance in the lacrosse world and
its involvement with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. Now the
Wildcats have drawn the interest
of HBO, as the five-time defending champs will be featured as part
of its Emmy-winning /Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel/, debuting
Tuesday, July 21, at 9 p.m. CT. The segment will be hosted by
renowned journalist Frank Deford.
Boasting five consecutive national championships, the Northwestern
women's lacrosse team might be the most dominant program in NCAA
history. For those close to the team, it's common knowledge that
their magic run began only after a secret weapon was brought in:
Jaclyn Murphy. Diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at age nine,
the Hopewell Junction, N.Y. native was in desperate need of a lift
when the team reached out to her.
Five years later, Murphy is a healthy, cancer-free 14-year-old,
while Northwestern hasn't lost a national championship since their
initial meeting. Inspired by their uplifting relationship, the
Friends of Jaclyn Foundation has been established to link other
children with malignant brain tumors to college teams around the
country.
HBO's cameras and producer Chapman Downes were in Towson, Md.,
with the Wildcats during the 2009 Final Four, and features
interviews with Jaclyn, her father Denis, Wildcat head coach Kelly
Amonte Hiller and a number of former Wildcat players.
After the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation began in 2007, the response
has been overwhelming for the Murphys. What began with NU's
involvement with Jaclyn has exploded to where it is today, with
over 100 children "adopted" by athletic teams across the nation and
hundreds of programs on the waiting list. It has also been an
incredible year for the Foundation media-wise, as along with HBO,
the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation has been featured on CNN, The New
York Times, Lacrosse
Magazine and the Big Ten Network, whose 2008 Short Story was
nominated for an Emmy this past spring.
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation's purpose is not only to help in
the fight against pediatric brain tumors, but more importantly,
ease the quality of life for those afflicted. For more information
on the Foundation, visit friendsofjaclyn.org
