Lawrenceville and Peddie Schools Unite to Fight Cancer

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by .

Lawrenceville School and Peddie School student-athletes have been rivals for more than a century, but for the past two years, they've teamed up to take on a mutual foe: Cancer.

On Oct. 15, Big Red and the Falcons will match up in the second annual Lawrenceville-Peddie Day, hosted this year at Lawrenceville (2500 Main St., Lawrenceville). The schools will compete in cross country (boys' and girls'), field hockey, football, soccer (boys' and girls') and tennis (girls').

Lawrenceville-Peddie Day is held remembrance in of Gerard "Jerry" Hart, a longtime Peddie cross country coach, lost to cancer in 2010. Both schools are holding fundraisers for the American Cancer Society during the week prior to the games.

"Athletics is one the best tools in education to instill people-loving values such as empathy and respect for the differences in others. Even through intense competition, coaches strive to help student-athletes keep things in perspective knowing that there are more important things in life other than the outcome of a sports contest," said Lawrenceville School Athletic Director John Simar.

"Lawrenceville-Peddie Day reminds us all that there are many battles in life and not all of them are fun, clean, and fair. Cancer eventually touches all of our families and is one battle from which we cannot turn away. Thank you to the Peddie School and its Director of Athletics Sue Cabot for starting this tradition. May we have another great day of competition on the fifteenth of October!"

The fundraising aspect of Lawrenceville-Peddie Day was initiated last year in honor of Hart, who was a member of the Peddie class of 1969, and served as a faculty member, director of the office computing, and director of major gifts and projects.

Prior to returning to Peddie, he was an U.S. Army aviator and parachutist for 20 years, retiring in 1994 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He died Sept. 19, 2010 at his home from pancreatic cancer.

A former Peddie record-holder in the mile and the top runner on the cross country team, Hart coached cross country and track at his alma mater for 15 years. During that time, he helped develop champions at the county, Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), and state levels and several nationally-recognized runners, as well as introducing many new student-athletes to a lifetime sport.

Twice named "Mercer County Coach of the Year," Hart enjoyed the camaraderie and competition among long-distance runners and often went on training runs with his teams.

Lawrenceville-Peddie Day Schedule

1:30 p.m.

• Girls' Varsity Tennis (Tennis Courts)
• Girls' Junior Varsity Tennis (Tennis Courts)

2:00 p.m.

• Boys' Varsity Cross Country (vs. Peddie & Stuart Country Day School): Start & Finish Woods Field One
• Girls' Varsity Cross Country (vs. Peddie & Stuart Country Day School): Start & Finish Woods Field One
• Girls' Varsity Field Hockey: Fisher Turf Field
• Girls' Junior Varsity Field Hockey: Fisher Turf Field
• Boys' Varsity Football: Keuffel Stadium
• Boys' Varsity Soccer: Chambers Field
• Boys' Junior Varsity Soccer: '49 A Field
• Boys' Freshman Soccer: '49 B Field
• Girls' Varsity Soccer: Woods Field Three
• Girls' Junior Varsity Soccer: Woods Field Two