PAUL LAMMERMEIER MEMORIAL CUP
Saturday, October 14th, a cold and rainy day in Cleveland, gave rise to a new tradition to honor and carry on the legacy of Paul Lammermeier: the inaugural Paul Lammermeier Memorial Cup Football series between Saint Ignatius in Cleveland and St. Xavier in Cincinnati.
Wanting to find additional ways of passing Paul’s legacy to future generations of students, three of his former students and colleagues – Steve Bradley, Tim Mackey, and Greg Greiwe – collaborated to form the Paul Lammermeier Memorial committee. The committee had three goals: 1. to preserve Paul’s legacy; 2. to transform lives through acts of service; and 3. to create a collaborative endeavor for the common good. They then reached out to contacts at St. Xavier and Saint Ignatius to speak with them about coining the annual football contest “the Paul Lammermeier Memorial Cup”. Both schools liked the idea, appreciated the committee’s initiative, and agreed to collaborate to bring the idea to life. The committee had a beautiful trophy created, with a picture of Paul, both schools’ logos, and an icon of hands holding each other, as a nod to Paul’s lifelong commitment to service. PLF was honored and pleased to be able to support the committee by providing video footage of Paul, some cards to pass out to spectators highlighting Paul’s life and mission, and other resources.
In honor of the inaugural PLM game, both schools interviewed a committee member during their pre-game report. During the half-time show, the two schools’ bands performed their Alma Mater together, and they featured a video of Paul on the jumbotron. PLF Board members passed out cards to incoming spectators to share information about who Paul was and how he inspired so many people. It was a wonderful, collaborative event, and we look forward to supporting the committee in future years as they continue to expand their vision of honoring and celebrating Paul’s life and legacy.
You may be wondering how the game went. The teams were tied at the end of regulation, but St. Xavier eked out a win in overtime. The Jesuit school in Cincinnati will house the trophy until next year’s meet-up when St. Xavier hosts Saint Ignatius. Stay tuned…
