Weiss ‘06 Leads Colby Service Effort

November 30, 2008

WATERVILLE, Maine — The Colby College men’s lacrosse team and the Waterville Police Department recently joined forces to raise more than $10,000 in the first annual Bench Press for Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Each member of the Colby men’s lacrosse team collected pledges that were for per repetition of 135 pounds on the bench press. The team set up the bench outside Pulver Pavilion on the Colby campus. The team sold bracelets, passed out flyers, and educated the student body on Pulmonary Fibrosis. Members of the team then benched 135 pounds as many times as possible to raise money.
Junior Max Weiss was a leader in organizing the event and helped man the bench press for the entire 12-hour event.
“It’s clear that this event meant a great deal to the Colby lacrosse family and in particular to Max. He was there for the entire day supporting his teammates while collecting the most pledges and the second most amount of money,” Colby men’s lacrosse coach Jon Thompson said. “Max has proven that he has a passion for being civically engaged on campus and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Thompson also was happy to partner with the Waterville Police Department and police chief Joe Massey on the venture.
“I cannot thank Chief Massey enough. Not only did he help raise money and awareness for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, but he lifted the weights right alongside our men,” Thompson said. “His involvement in the event was a wonderful gesture on the part of the Waterville Police Department.”
Pulmonary Fibrosis is a devastating disease that involves scarring of the lung tissue. Often misdiagnosed, people with Pulmonary Fibrosis experience extreme discomfort as the air sacs of the lungs gradually become replaced by fibrotic tissue. When the scar forms, the tissue becomes thicker causing an irreversible loss of the tissue’s ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream.
Close to 40,000 people die every year from Pulmonary Fibrosis in the United States. More than 200,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the disease and an additional 50,000 are likely to be diagnosed in 2009.

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