DAHLONEGA — In partnership with Make-A-Wish Georgia, the University of North Georgia celebrated its eighth annual Make-A-Wish Day by welcoming sixteen-year-old Luke England to the Nighthawk Nation as an honorary captain for North Georgia's 20th-ranked women's soccer team.
After his introduction as the team's 12th starter, Luke was escorted to his VIP tailgate area where he met with numerous UNG athletic teams, the UNG cheer squad, members of the Corps of Cadets, and other various student organizations.
Luke was also able to meet the UNG baseball team and receive a tour of Coleman Field House and assisted with the coin flip prior to the start of the soccer match.
Following his halftime "signing" ceremony, Luke sat down with
Craig Corbin, the "Voice of the Nighthawks" for a question and answer period about his battle with cancer.
From nearby Gainesville, Georgia, it's hard to talk about Luke England and not mention sports. He plays both ways on the East Hall High football team and bats in the middle of the lineup on the Viking baseball team. All of that was stripped away from the now junior athlete less than two years ago when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 15. But in a true testament to his character he fought through it, beat it and was told he was cancer free on July 20, 2018.
NCAA Division II has raised nearly $6 million toward granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Almost 700 "wishes" have been granted through NCAA Division II contributions.
UNG Nighthawk athletics provides the perfect example of the commitment to Division II's long-standing relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.
Since 2010, Nighthawk Athletics has raised over $195,000 for Make-A-Wish, having raised at least $10,000 in every year since, meaning more than 19 wishes have been granted from the efforts of the Nighthawk Nation.
Luke is one of the newer Wish kids in the state of Georgia and is excited to start the process of having his most heartfelt wish granted fueled by efforts such UNG Make-A-Wish Day 2019.
