April 25, 2007

EVANSTON, Ill. -- In 2005, the Wildcats were introduced to a special young girl, Jaclyn Murphy, who has been diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. Jaclyn has become an important part of the back-to-back national champion Wildcat lacrosse team and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation has become an important organization to the Wildcats.

Fans can show their support for the Wildcat lacrosse seniors in their final regular-season home game as well as the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation by wearing flip-flops to the Sunday, April 29 game with Hofstra at 1 p.m. If 500 fans attend the game in flip-flops, the 'Cats will donate free airfare to the foundation. All fans also will be entered to win a pair of "Jaclyn's Garden of Healing" flip-flops, designed by Jaclyn herself.

Friends of Jaclyn is a charitable organization created to raise public awareness regarding pediatric brain tumors and improve the quality of life for children who are diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer.

In March, the Wildcats competed in the Inaugural Friends of Jaclyn Brain Tumor Awareness College Lacrosse Cup in Yorktown, N.Y., raising just under $40,000 for brain tumor research and set an NCAA regular-season attendance record for a women's lacrosse game as Northwestern defeated UMass.

Top-ranked Northwestern has won 13-straight games and will conclude its regular-season at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the lakeside field at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex in Evanston. Admission is free for all fans. For more information about Wildcat lacrosse, visit NUsports.com or e-mail wildcatmarketing@northwestern.edu. To learn more about Friends of Jaclyn, visit www.friendsofjaclyn.org.