Oct. 16, 1997

Adam Sargent Benefit Slated for Nov. 2

Nearly all 700 of the University of Notre Dame’s varsity athletes will take part Sunday, November 2, in “Meet the Irish,” a celebration of Notre Dame sports designed to benefit Irish lacrosse player Adam Sargent.

The event is designed to assist Rochester, N.Y., product Sargent, who was partially paralyzed in a May 29 automobile accident near the Notre Dame campus. Sargent spent two months at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at Northwestern University and currently is living in Rochester and involved in outpatient care through Strong Memorial Hospital. He hopes to return to the University to take classes in January.

“Meet the Irish” is scheduled for 2:00-4:00 p.m. EST, with nearly all Notre Dame athletic teams available in either the Joyce Center arena, the Joyce Center fieldhouse or the Rolfs Aquatic Center. The Irish volleyball team is competing that day at Georgetown.

The $5 admission fee provides a wristband good for admission to any of the venues. All of Notre Dame’s teams will be in uniform and will put on displays of skills in their particular sports — and also will be available for autographs, photos and questions during the two-hour session. Children age three and under are admitted free; all others must purchase a wristband.

Wristbands are available in advance at the University’s Joyce Center ticket office (enter Gate 1 or 2, second floor) and also will be available at the door on the day of the event, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Gates 3 and 10 of the Joyce Center. Wristbands go on sale beginning Tuesday, October 14.

Each of the first 1,000 attendees will receive a free hat, courtesy of adidas and Champion.

Each wristband is good for admission that day to the Notre Dame men’s soccer home game against Boston College at 1:00 p.m. and the Notre Dame women’s soccer home game against Providence at 3:00 p.m., both at Alumni Field (wristbands will be available at Alumni Field beginning at noon).

Each wristband also is good for admission to the December 10 women’s basketball game between Notre Dame and Purdue (tipoff is 7:00 p.m. EST — present wristband at gate for admission).

The Adam Sargent Fund, Inc., has been established by a group led by Irish lacrosse coach Kevin Corrigan in hopes of raising $500,000 over the next three years to support Sargent’s rehabilitation efforts.

The fund already has received a $25,000 gift from the University’s Snite Foundation and additional contributions are expected through a five-city Notre Dame-USC Football Game Watch slated for October 18 in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Rochester, N.Y., and New York City.

Contributions can be made to Adam Sargent Fund, Lacrosse Office, Joyce Center, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

Sargent was a starter in 1997 on the Notre Dame lacrosse team that finished 9-3 and participated in the NCAA tournament for the sixth straight year.