Duke Softball Support Your Cause Game

2025 Duke Softball Support Your Cause Game

Duke softball student-athletes are more than just athletes on the field. Join us as the team plays for a cause beyond themselves.To raise awareness for the causes they support, the team will be wearing special warm-up shirts. Below are the causes that our players and coaches have chosen to play for and support:

#2 Sophie Garner-MacKinnon
Cause/Organization: Brain Cancer (National Brain Tumor Society)
Learn More: https://braintumorinvestmentfund.org/
Why the Cause is Important: This cause is important to me because I lost one of my high school teammates to a brain tumor.

#4 Ana Gold
Cause/Organization: Breast Cancer Awareness (American Cancer Society)
Learn More: https://www.acscapitalregionevents.com/
Why the Cause is Important: My Nana had breast cancer a few years back, now she is cancer free. It is important to raise awareness about breast cancer to help prevent it or stop it early.

#5 Amiah Burgess
Cause/Organization: Child Homelessness (Cherokee Home for Children)
Learn More: https://www.chc4kids.org/
Why the Cause is Important: My church and my family have supported this home for years now. The home provides a safe place for kids to grow up and provides the necessities needed to be successful in life, including athletic and secondary education opportunities.

#6 Ava Bradshaw
Cause/Organization: Autism Awareness (Easterseals)
Learn More: https://www.easterseals.com/programs-and-services/autism-services/
Why the Cause is Important: My younger cousin Dylan has autism, and watching his journey as well as how his family has rallied and supported him to ensure he has all the resources he needs has been so impactful to me and has been a powerful example of true commitment, love, and compassion for family.

#8 Gabriella Mike
Cause/Organization: Autism (Inspire Learning Academy)
Learn More: https://www.inspirelearningacademy.org/
Why the Cause is Important: It is important because it highlights what people with disabilities have to go through and my dad helps many kids and adults with autism so that inspired me.

#9 Jessica Oakland
Cause/Organization: Mental Health Awareness (Happiness Project)
Learn More: https://happinessproject.com/
Why the Cause is Important: Having outlets and people to talk to and people that care about you is super important to me because I know it’s hard to ask for help and this organization helps with that and had helped me personally

#10 D’Auna Jennings
Cause/Organization: Homelessness (Durham Rescue Mission)
Learn More: https://durhamrescuemission.org/
Why the Cause is Important: It’s important to me because I hate seeing homeless people on the streets and I believe everyone should have an opportunity to have housing with assistance.

#11 Hailey Shuler
Cause/Organization: Suicide Awareness (HopeLine) and Stomach Cancer (Gastric Cancer Foundation)
Learn More: https://www.hopeline-nc.org and https://gastriccancer.org/
Why the Cause is Important: My first cause is important to me because my cousin Kenny Morris passed away due to suicide. I also want to highlight the Gastric Cancer Foundation as my second cause because I lost my uncle, Lamar Shuler, to stomach cancer.

#13 Dakota Farmer
Cause/Organization: Parkinson’s Disease (The Parkinson’s Foundation)
Learn More: https://www.parkinson.org/
Why the Cause is Important: My grandma, Glenda Farmer, was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

#16 Dani Drogemuller
Cause/Organization: Veteran/ First Responder Support (Tunnels to Towers Foundation)
Learn More: https://t2t.org/
Why the Cause is Important: This cause is important to me because my mom is a real estate agent, and she helps wounded and fallen veteran's or first responders families find homes through this organization. My dad, grandpa, uncle, boyfriend, and cousin are all veterans and first responders so this cause is very close to my heart in respect to all who have and are serving our country.

#17 Aminah Vega
Cause/Organization: Type 1 Diabetes (Team Type 1)
Learn More: https://teamtype1.org/
Why the Cause is Important: This cause is important to me because my brother has type 1 diabetes and was diagnosed when he was 7 years old. It has shaped his life and my family’s journey. He has pushed through the challenges of living with the condition while going to college to play baseball. He didn’t let this condition hold him back and his determination and resilience inspired me.

#19 Cassidy Curd
Cause/Organization: Melanoma Awareness (American Melanoma Foundation) and First Responder Awareness (American Red Cross)
Learn More: https://melanomafoundation.org/ and https://www.redcross.org/
Why the Cause is Important: Melanoma awareness is important to me because my mom is a survivor. Her journey highlights the importance of early detection and prevention. I'm committed to spreading awareness to protect others from having to experience what she went through. My second cause is first responder awareness because my father is a fire chief and has dedicated many years of his life to public safety.

#22 Linh Le
Cause/Organization: Kidney Disease and Transplant Awareness (National Kidney Foundation)
Learn More: https://www.kidney.org/about
Why the Cause is Important: This cause is incredibly important to me because it deeply affected my family. My dad battled kidney disease, and in October 2023, my mom, Christina, tested and matched as a donor. Thanks to her selfless act, the transplant was successful, giving my dad a new lease on life. Witnessing their journey—the challenges of dialysis, the hope of finding a donor, and the relief after the surgery—has inspired me to support kidney disease awareness and research. I want to help others facing similar struggles and ensure more families can find hope and healing.

#24 Thessa Malau'ulu
Cause/Organization: ALK+ Lung Cancer (ALK Positive Inc.)
Learn More: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/alkpositiveinc/
Why the Cause is Important: My Aunty Lisa Tafua went home to be with the Lord this past September 1, 2024 at the age of 49 from ALK+ lung cancer. Her joy and contagious light never faded no matter how sick she was or felt. Aunty Lisa's fighting spirit and support she showed for all her kids, my siblings, and cousins inspires me every single day to show up and #LiveLikeLisa #TafuaStrong.

#25 Jada Baker
Cause/Organization: Multiple Sclerosis (Multiple Sclerosis Foundation)
Learn More: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS
Why the Cause is Important: I play for multiple sclerosis because my grandma suffers from MS and playing for her every day pushes me to continue to make her proud. She goes through troubles you wouldn't even imagine because she is so strong and always has the perfect smile on her face.

#27 KK Mathis
Cause/Organization: Lung Cancer (American Lung Association)
Learn More: https://www.lung.org/
Why the Cause is Important: I play for lung cancer because I lost my grandpa to lung cancer in 2005.

#32 Kairi Rodriguez
Cause/Organization: Prostate Cancer (Prostate Cancer Foundation)
Learn More: https://www.pcf.org/
Why the Cause is Important: My grandfather passed away from prostate cancer.

#42 Brooklinn Thomas
Cause/Organization: Stomach Cancer (Debbie's Dream Foundation)
Learn More: https://debbiesdream.org/
Why the Cause is Important: This cause is important to me because I lost my great-great grandmother to stomach cancer.

#99 Aleyah Terrell
Cause/Organization: Heart Disease (American Heart Association)
Learn More: https://www.heart.org/
Why the Cause is Important: In 2015, my grandfather passed away due to heart disease. He was my best friend and my rock growing up, and he always let me know how supported I was in softball and that regardless of how his condition played out he would be there for me.

Marissa Young - Head Coach
Cause/Organization: Organ, Eye & Tissue Donation (Honor Bridge)
Learn More: https://honorbridge.org/
Why the Cause is Important: HonorBridge is North Carolina’s largest organ donation and tissue recovery organization. They are devoted to saving lives through organ and tissue donation, and organ donation saved my husband’s life!

Taylor Wike - Associate Head Coach
Cause/Organization: ALS (The ALS Association)
Learn More: https://www.als.org/understanding-als
Why the Cause is Important: Two of my close family friends have been impacted by ALS.

Lisa Maulden - Director of Player Development
Cause/Organization: Lupus (Lupus Foundation of America)
Learn More: https://www.lupus.org/
Why the Cause is Important: My dad was diagnosed with lupus (along with other illnesses) when I was extremely young. He’s been limited to what he can do day to day because of his autoimmune disease, and has dealt with this diagnosis my entire life. He continuously chooses to fight this disease; everyday he is with us is truly a blessing, as well as a testament to his strength to live for both my sister and me.

Emily Johnson - Director of Operations
Cause/Organization: Childhood Cancer Awareness (Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation)
Learn More: https://www.bepositive.org/
Why the Cause is Important: This cause is important to me because every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy and experience life fully, and no family should have to navigate this battle alone. Working with the B+ Foundation has given me a new light to what families go through when they receive the cancer diagnosis being able to support them and bring a light when times are dark is something so special and has left a lasting impact.

Duke Softball Support Your Cause Game

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