“Duhawks Supporting Duhawks” isn’t just a phrase at Loras College: it’s a way of life. Our community is known for showing up for one another in every situation: the joyful moments, the difficult ones, and the times that call us to hope. So, when we began planning for this year’s National Catholic Youth Conference, partnering with the Why We Wave Foundation to create friendship bracelets felt like a natural fit. These simple strands of beads carry a message that reflects the heart of the Loras community: we’re here for you.
The Why We Wave Foundation is built on one of college football’s most meaningful traditions. At every home game in Kinnick Stadium, University of Iowa Hawkeye fans turn toward the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital and lift their arms in “The Wave” which is a gesture of pure kindness meant to include the children and their families watching the Iowa Football game from their windows. The foundation helps children well enough to leave the hospital experience this moment from inside the stadium, giving them a front-row seat to a tidal wave of love and support shared by fans across the country.
As Loras distributes these bracelets at NCYC, we hope they become a symbol of something enduring: that even in uncertain times, faith and community remain unshakeable. And when you become part of the Loras College community, it isn’t just for your years on campus… it’s for life.
Loras College & Why We Wave Connection
Loras College is home to more than 60 student organizations, including Loras College DuThon, which is part of the nationwide Dance Marathon movement supporting local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This is how we met James.
James’s story began with what any parent might expect: routine ear infections when he was just 10 months old. But those everyday doctor visits led to a life-changing discovery: a mass in his brain and another at the base of his skull. The diagnosis was Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) which is a rare condition affecting only 1 to 2 out of every million newborns each year.
In that moment, James’s life took a new direction. But so did his courage.
Through surgeries, treatments, and chemotherapy, James built an army of support with family, medical heroes, friends, and little did he know an entire campus of Duhawks cheering him on. The care teams at Stead Family Children’s Hospital became a second family, lifting his spirit with the same warmth that inspires The Wave.
James was named a Kid Captain for the 2025 Iowa football season, sharing his story with Hawkeye Nation and reminding thousands of fans what resilience looks like. And back home? He’s a miracle kiddo with Loras DuThon, a kid captain to the Loras Men’s Basketball Team, and a beam of joy who brightens every room he walks into.
From Dyersville to Iowa City, from classrooms to stadiums, from NCYC to the hearts of everyone he meets, James and other kiddos facing health complications are living reminders that God works through the smallest fighters in the biggest ways.
As you wear your friendship bracelet, we invite you to join us in prayer… pray for James, for all children battling illness, and for every family walking the long road of hope and healing. Please lift up all kiddos affected by childhood illness, that one day they may grow strong in faith just as you are at NCYC, and perhaps even become Duhawks after high school.
What “Duhawks Supporting Duhawks” Really Means
For students exploring where they belong, the friendship bracelets mean more than just beads on a string for a cute accessory… they represent support. And at Loras, support is not just a slogan. It’s a lived promise. When we say Duhawks Support Duhawks, we mean:
- You’ll be surrounded by people who believe in service, compassion, and faith in action.
- You’ll join a community that prays with you, challenges you, celebrates you, and stands beside you.
- You’ll find life-long friends who show up when classes get tough or life gets messy.
- You’ll have the chance to make a real impact on campus, in the world, and in the lives of kids like James who remind us what courage looks like.
These bracelets are just a small little token of what the Duhawk community feels like: a place where kindness is contagious, where community is real, and where every bracelet and every person carry meaning.
Learn more about how you can take the next steps into living out your faith at Loras! Contact our admission office today!
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563.588.7236
admission@loras.edu
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