Newtown High School's boys' lacrosse program might be battling with competition between the lines on the field this season, but it is also taking on something bigger off the playing surface. Suzen Stewart, mom of Nighthawk player Luke, is the chair of the board for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). Suzen and Luke, along with other members of the NHS lacrosse family, spoke to fans about the disease and ways people can help those battling ovarian cancer prior to the team's 10-5 win over Simsbury on April 11.

Suzen became involved with NOCC after her big sister, Jean, was diagnosed in 2016. "She was our Wonder Woman. After she passed away, I found a quote on her phone that has stayed with me: 'The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot,'" said Suzen, adding that she thinks about it often, and how life is about choices we make.

"And I’ve chosen to turn my grief into action by raising awareness about ovarian cancer, because no woman should be caught off guard the way my sister was. In 2025, my little sister Christine was diagnosed. We have no known genetic markers. However, because of her awareness and self-advocacy, she was diagnosed early, completed treatment, and is now considered no evidence of disease," Suzen continued.

Both her son and daughter, Cam, also spoke at the event, as did Luke's teammate, Nick Stockwell, and his mom, Jen. They all wore special teal T-shirts that read "ROCK The Day." Teal is the official color of ovarian cancer awareness, representing strength, hope, and a need for early detection.

"My aunt Jean was full of great ideas, and one of them was this 'ROCK the Day' event. ROCK stands for Raise Ovarian Cancer Knowledge," Luke said. "Jean envisioned a day when a community like ours would come together to make a real impact, to spark conversations, share information, and make sure more people understand this disease. She believed it was unacceptable that there is still no reliable screening or early detection test for ovarian cancer. Today, we are bringing her vision to life."

Nick noted that one in 91 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and there is still no reliable screening or early detection test. Nick added that the team was honored to be joined by ovarian cancer survivors, Luke and Cam's aunt Christine Reisel, and his grandmother Frankie Smith. "Your strength, resilience, and courage inspire all of us," Nick said.

The NOCC's mission is to save lives through the prevention and curing of ovarian cancer, and to improve the quality of life for survivors and their caregivers. It provides free programs and services nationwide, including meal delivery, financial assistance, cancer care kits called Faces of Hope totes, peer support groups, mental health resources, and personalized resource navigation. The NOCC's educational programs reach communities across the country, from local in-person events to online learning opportunities like Teal Talk: An Ovarian Cancer Podcast, Suzen said.

Jen thanked corporate sponsor Signature Printhouse for generously donating shirts for the Newtown players and staff, as well as Coach Tony Fitti, whom she described as being 100% supportive of this effort.

"Anytime we can get involved with something special to help raise awareness in something that affects someone's lives we're going to jump all over it," Fitti said.

"We would also like to thank our generous parents for their donations to our snack and drink booth, as well as their contributions to our raffle and silent auction. Your support helps make this day possible," Jen added.

"Jean envisioned a day when we would come together and make a deep, resounding impact — one that would be heard far and wide. Thank you for being part of her vision today. And to quote my aunt, ‘The present is a present, so make it count,’" Cam said.

For information, visit ovarian.org or the the fundraising page.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.