The Bard College men's soccer team raised $6,365 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation though the Vs. Cancer program.

The effort, which began in the early spring, culminated with a Vs. Cancer game against St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn on Saturday. The team wore Vs. Cancer t-shirts and also yellow laces, to match the colors of the campaign. The team's goal was to raise $5,000.

"It's exciting to see that the team significantly exceeded the goal that it set," Bard coach TJ Kostecky said. "From our lens, we wanted this effort to be a reflection of the mission of Bard College. When we met about this, we talked about the difference that Bard makes globally, with human rights, with sustainability, and wondered what we could do."

The Vs. Cancer program was started by pediatric brain cancer survivor and former collegiate athlete Chase Jones. It is the main fundraising campaign of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The Bard men's soccer team specifically chose to donate to the foundation's Butterfly Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to families in financial difficulty due to a child's brain tumor diagnosis. The fund helps cover costs like rent, food, utilities, etc.

"The players felt as members of this community that helping children and local families who have a life-challenging issue was the way they wanted to go," Kostecky said. "It was a reminder that our mission is really to help and serve others, and that later on in life, these things will stay with us. A little bit of action can make a difference in a community. Even if we've changed only one person's life, it's our responsibility to help and I'm proud of what the players have done."