University of North Carolina Athletics
October 29, 2026 | Baseball, Men's Lacrosse, Softball, Women's Lacrosse, Student-Athlete Development
"One thing the men's lacrosse program harps on is that it just means more than yourself," men's lacrosse senior Cole Aasheim said. "I feel like we can get so caught up in games, practice and balancing all of the other things that come with playing a college sport, but this event lets us be kids again. It is so nice to come to this event. It just means so much to the children, so that means everything to us."
Each year, the event aims to raise awareness and provide financial support for UNC Children's Hospital. Every donation goes directly to the hospital, helping provide care, comfort and hope to children and families across North Carolina.
"Megan Smith Lyon, Jenny Levy, Scott Forbes and I got together six years ago and thought, with all that's going on in college athletics, what a great opportunity for our student-athletes to take a step back, be kids again and most importantly, raise funds for UNC Children's Hospital," men's lacrosse head coach Joe Breschi said. "Our goal is to make the children who attend this event smile for an hour. For our student-athletes, they have such a platform to give back, so in a small way, we are giving back to the hospital, but in a larger way, we are putting smiles on little kids' faces, which, to me, is the most important thing."
The men's lacrosse and softball teams were paired up to take on the women's lacrosse and baseball programs in a fun, fast-paced baseball-softball hybrid game played with a tennis ball. Carolina athletic director Steve Newmark was also in attendance and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
"This is a special event that reminds us that our impact extends far beyond college athletics," Newmark said. "Seeing our student-athletes connect with children in our community is what it's all about. Thank you to our baseball, softball and men's and women's lacrosse programs for coming together to create such a meaningful and impactful experience for our community."
Team IMPACT participants also joined in the festivities. Team IMPACT matches children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams, building meaningful relationships and creating life-changing experiences for the children, their families and student-athletes.
"This is our sixth year doing the event, and each year it gets better, more competitive and, most importantly, more fun," women's lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy said. "As you become a senior, this is one of the things that they look forward to, and it is just so great for the community and to support our Children's Hospital."
Following the five-inning contest, children of all ages showed off their Halloween costumes as they visited trick-or-treat stations set up throughout the stadium, capping off an evening filled with fun, community and Carolina spirit.
"Being a part of Carolina Athletics is more than just our athletic department," softball head coach Megan Smith Lyon said. "It is about giving back to Chapel Hill. Being able to partner with the other sports and give back is an amazing opportunity for us to connect with kids in our community. We are all about family and selflessness with our program, and this fits right in with that. Our girls have such a great time interacting with the kids and the other student-athletes at this event."
If you could not attend the event but would like to contribute, click here to donate.
