Sporting "Kidney 4 Clark" T-shirts prior to their game, Penn College lacrosse players and staff gather for a team photo. Their efforts seek to support Clark Pitura, a Penn College father in need of a kidney donor. He will be speaking at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Penn's Inn, as part of the "Gift of Life College Challenge." The campus community is also encouraged to enjoy other related activities from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday on the Campus Center patio.
It takes a team effort! Penn College lacrosse players are among those joining forces to boost awareness of a fellow student’s father’s search for a kidney donor. The organ donor campaign, known as “Kidney 4 Clark,” is for Clark Pitura, a New York City police detective and father of Dylan Clark Pitura, a student enrolled in heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis. The Pituras reside in Brewster, New York.
At its April 12 game, the lacrosse team sported T-shirts promoting the initiative, and Penn College nursing students staffed a table where game attendees could receive organ donor information and sign up to “give the gift of life.”
These efforts align with a separate campaign – the “Gift of Life College Challenge,” undertaken by Penn College’s Wellness Committee, nursing students and other partners. The project’s big event is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Bush Campus Center.
From 11 a.m. to noon, Clark Pitura and his wife, Lia, will be featured guest speakers in Penn’s Inn on the second floor of the Campus Center. Joining them in sharing their story will be A’Nissa Andrews, a local resident discussing her organ donation journey.
From noon to 2 p.m. on the outdoor patio, the gathering will feature food trucks, a live DJ, and games, including yard pong and cornhole.
The campus community is encouraged to attend these offerings and “celebrate the gift of life.”
In addressing the lacrosse team’s efforts, Lia Pitura posted the following on the “Kidney 4 Clark ” Facebook page: “Our hearts are overflowing with love and gratitude. When we began this journey, we felt alone – scared of the unknown and unsure of what lay ahead. But now, we are anything but alone. The support we have received has been nothing short of extraordinary. Knowing that we have an entire army standing beside us – fighting with us, believing in us – has been one of the most powerful and humbling parts of this experience. Penn College has gone above and beyond, not just for us, but for so many others waiting on a second chance at life through transplant. Their compassion and commitment have left a mark on our hearts we will carry forever. Congratulations to PCT LAX on their big win ... at their Kidney 4 Clark game!”
Connecting the Pitura family with the Penn College Wildcats lacrosse team was Timothy M. Weigle, the college’s director of facilities maintenance, who first become aware of Clark’s kidney donor need when he noticed a hand-written sign about it on the family car during Dylan’s college move-in day. Weigle later reached out to the family, received approval from college administration and began to figure out ways the campus community could offer support.
Jordan G. Williams, head coach of men’s lacrosse, explained: “Tim reached out to see if we would be interested in supporting Kidney 4 Clark after he heard about Clark and Lia Pitura. As anyone who has met Tim knows, he is one of the most kind and generous humans who is always looking for ways to serve others, so when he asked, we knew it was something we would be interested in doing. I brought it up to our leadership council and, without hesitation, they agreed it would be a great cause during one of our games to help raise visibility for Kidney 4 Clark and organ donation as a whole. Tim spearheaded the whole effort, purchasing T-shirts, organizing with the school and really making sure it was a visible event. We, as a program, are always looking for ways to serve, whether it be with hands-on volunteering, raising funds for causes or bringing awareness to causes.”
Tori G. Baskin, a nursing student from Muncy, is among those staffing an organ donor information table at the lacrosse game. She and others, including the college's Wellness Committee, are engaged in the “Gift of Life College Challenge."
That all-important, pre-game lacrosse team huddle! (To help with the awareness effort, Timothy M. Weigle, Penn College's director of facilities maintenance, and his wife, Christine, donated the “Kidney 4 Clark” T-shirts to the players.)