Friends and Family Score With Jillian Daly Charity Lacrosse Game

As the sun shined down on Skelos Field on Saturday afternoon, friends and family of Jill Daly gathered to rejoice in a life that inspired them, and raise money to combat the blood disorder that took her away. They did it through the second annual Jillian E. Daly Foundation alumni lacrosse game. Sixty two Rockville Centre PAL alumni participated in an 80-minute exhibition, showcasing both skill and a continued love of the sport they grew up on. The fact the game took place under a pristine June sky was not lost on anyone. “That’s all Jillian,” foundation member Ellen White said. “We had a gorgeous day last year and we’ll have a gorgeous day this year and every year to come. She’ll take care of that for us.” Daly died suddenly in October of 2010 from warm Hemolytic Anemia, a blood disease that affected her platelets. She was a 2004 graduate of South Side High School and was the manager of the 2004 state champion boys lacrosse team. “Jillian was bright and energetic. She’d fill the room up with her smile,” White said. “She was a beautiful girl inside and out.” After her death, friends of Daly banded together to form the foundation. They began raising money for autoimmune diseases by organizing the game and raised more than $24,000 in the process. “She influenced a lot of people and was very involved in a lot of different things,” foundation board member Kate Errera said. “We started (the charity) as a small reminder of her life and then it turned into something that we never imagined it would be. There’s been a lot of people that have been involved in helping out and making it into what it is now. We’re all really proud and grateful.” That dedication to their fallen friend is inspiring to parents like White, whose son was a close friend of Daly’s. “They’re an incredibly tight group of friends,” she said. “To see how these kids have come together and worked in Jillian’s name is really amazing.” Watching it all were Jillian’s parents, Bob and Ginny Daly. The co-chairmen of the charity were integral in organizing this year’s event. “Last year, Mrs. Daly and I didn’t do much,” Bob said. “This year we helped and tried to coordinate everybody and get a bigger turnout. We wanted to do something. Everyone was chipping in to do this for our daughter and we wanted to be a part of it. It’s great to get it going today.”

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