Will Dadouris was just 13 when he found his passion. A youth lacrosse player just about to enter high school, Dadouris decided to join Fields of Growth for a two-week mission trip in Jamaica.

The requirements he had to fulfill: Bring two duffel bags of donated equipment and a backpack for his personal items. Dadouris remembered the used equipment he got in fourth grade, when he started playing lacrosse. That opened him up to the sport, and he wanted to give back in the same way.

Instead of the two duffel bags, Dadouris had filled his entire driveway with equipment. He had over 35 helmets — enough to suit an entire team. 

“It grew so big that I had to contact another volunteer and say ‘Hey, can you help me bring them?’” Dadouris said of his Fields of Growth collections.

Dadouris’ trip to Jamaica lit the spark that has continued today, where the Gill St. Bernard’s School senior is leading his own non-profit, ReLax Collections, in an effort to give equipment to underprivileged communities around the world, hoping that it will translate to better results in school.

What started as a driveway full of pads and sticks has turned into almost $200,000 in donated lacrosse equipment, helping children in five countries pick up the game, including in Jamaica and Uganda. He's also worked with organizations like Shootout for Soldiers.

And to compensate with the growth of his organization, Dadouris has added three friends to his staff. He has built a thriving non-profit and he hasn’t graduated high school.

“Seeing the smiles on every kid’s face, no matter what their background is, what their socioeconomic status is [and] seeing how everyone can unite around a lacrosse stick, that’s why we do it," he said. "I have that in me, going to Jamaica and having Fields of Growth bring it out of me, saying ‘It can be on a bigger scale than just your pads.’"

Kevin Dugan, who heads Fields of Growth, was one of the first people to see Dadouris’ budding excitement for giving back. 

“Will’s definitely someone who has this passion and enthusiasm for lacrosse, but he’s also not afraid to take action and those first steps at getting started,” Dugan said. “There are so many people that have ideas to want to do good, but they’re afraid to take the first steps of faith and initiative to get started. … All over the world, there’s a need for people like Will.”

Since Dadouris' work with Fields of Growth, ReLax has expanded into areas like New York City and Florida. He also assisted Shootout for Soldiers in its efforts with Operation Baggataway, which brought the game to service members overseas.

 

Glad to be a part of the awesome work going on at @softlacrosse. Thank you @lehighlacrosse, @legacyglobalsports, @swaxlaxball for giving all the donations that they needed for today. #growthegame #lacrosse

A post shared by ReLax Collections (@relaxcollections) on Feb 26, 2017 at 5:23pm PST

“It shows how giving he is. It’s really powerful,” Shootout for Soldiers founder Tyler Steinhardt said. “Working in this space, you get to meet some really awesome people. To be doing this from 13 is really miraculous. It shows his character in that he’s so focused on giving back to others and sharing the sport as well.”

For Dadouris, the road ahead will be busy, but he’s ready to carry the ReLax Collections with him. He’ll attend Division III Moravian College to play lacrosse this fall. He also wants to attend dental school after he graduates college, so he can follow in his father’s footsteps in becoming a dentist.

He still wants to work with the major companies in lacrosse, like Warrior or Cascade. 

“Now seeing that the game of lacrosse can actually be promoting education, it’s just totally crazy,” he said. “We have to stay ahead of the curve, having a bigger staff with all friends, and even my teachers. It’s beyond just the lacrosse community.”