Lake Forest lacrosse player raises over $10,000 in memory of former student
In June 2019, the Lake County community lost 20-year-old Jack Adams, a 2017 graduate of Lake Forest High School, All-State lacrosse player and beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, teammate, coach and friend.
Since his passing, however, the outpouring of support from the community honoring Jack's memory year after year has been significant, including recent efforts by current Lake Forest High School senior Jack Carrabine, who raised more than $10,000 this June for the 4 Jack Adams Memorial Fund, held at The Lake County Community Foundation.
The donor advised fund, established by Jack Adams' parents, Rich and Kristy Adams, is used each year to pool community dollars and then grant them to support different initiatives. Grant funds have supported grief counseling services, initiatives promoting water safety, and the Lake Forest Lacrosse Association's Learn 2 Lax 4 Jack program, a cause Jack Adams was passionate about, which introduces kindergarteners and first graders to the game of lacrosse at little to no cost.
For the past two seasons at Lake Forest High School, Carrabine has worn the memorial Number 4 jersey in Jack's honor as the long stick midfielder on the varsity lacrosse team. This year, he decided he wanted to do more.
"When Jack passed, it was a shock to the community and everyone felt heartbroken by it," Carrabine said. "Wearing Jack Adams' number, I just wanted to give back in his memory. The Adams family has done so much in the community with helping new families introduce their kids to lacrosse and making it more accessible. I wanted to keep going with what they started and give back to the Learn 2 Lax 4 Jack program."
Carrabine's fundraiser included a challenge. For every ground ball he picked up during his regular season games, community members were asked to pledge a donation of 50 cents to $3 to the 4 Jack Adams Memorial Fund. Carrabine was able to secure a record-breaking 147 ground balls in a 24-game season.
"I've never really been into stats, but this year the stats meant something and had a deeper meaning," Carrabine said. "Before each game, I would always think about what it meant and I would push myself to get a certain amount per game for the fundraiser."
As pledges started coming in, Rich and Kristy Adams were amazed at the amount of money Carrabine was able to raise in just a couple of months. Not only that, but over the course of the past two years, they were able to get to know Carrabine more personally at lacrosse games, watching him play as the "new" Number 4 and talking to him after games.
"Our family is so grateful and thoroughly impressed that Jack Carrabine had the desire, commitment, creativity, maturity and compassion to come up with his idea for a ground ball fundraiser," Rich Adams said.
"Off the field, through his creativity, he provided an incredible boost of energy and awareness to our mission. On the field, he is truly one of the best high school long stick midfielders that I have ever seen play the game."
"Through his participation and the generous support of the Lake Forest Lacrosse Association, the LFHS lacrosse program, and the entire Lake Forest community, we have truly started a legacy in memory of Jack Adams," Kristy Adams said.
Since the establishment of the fund at The Lake County Community Foundation in 2019, the Adams family has granted $15,000 to the Lake Forest Lacrosse Association so far, with another grant of over $10,000 pledged to LFLA thanks to Carrabine's fundraiser.
In the past two years of fundraising for LFLA's Learn 2 Lax 4 Jack, the program has grown from 20 kids to almost 90, carrying on a powerful legacy in honor of Jack Adams' love for teaching young kids the game of lacrosse.
The Lake County Community Foundation is proud to provide a variety of giving vehicles, such as donor advised funds, to help donors honor or memorialize loved ones.
"Playing a small part in supporting Jack's legacy means a lot to us. The 4 Jack Adams Memorial Fund is a great example of the power collective giving can have within a community," said Executive Director Maggie Morales.
"LCCF is honored to steward this fund for Jack's family and encourage others to think about partnering with the Community Foundation for these kinds of community initiatives."
Carrabine says he plans to run the ground ball fundraiser again in March 2023 for his senior year lacrosse season before he continues his education and lacrosse career at Colgate University.
"I hope the Adamses feel that everything they've done for the community in memory of Jack Adams is being carried on," he said. "They started something that is really great for the community here. Now, so many new kids can access and enjoy the sport, all because of the help of Jack Adams and the Adams family."
For more information about LCCF, visit www.lakecountycf.org/.
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