Documentary About Jerry LeVasseur (Sigma Phi, L'1958 Lehigh, '1960)
- Kurt Haigis
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Hello! My name is Andrew McGowan. I am a filmmaker who is currently producing a documentary about Jerry LeVasseur, a 1958 alum of Sigma Phi's Lehigh University chapter.
LeVasseur is a lifelong athlete with an incredible story. He survived the Hartford Circus Fire when he was six years old. He lost his mother in the catastrophe and sustained life-threatening injuries. Despite this, he rebounded to become an incredible athlete— playing football and basketball in high school, and participating in inter-fraternity touch-football, soccer, and ski club at Lehigh. As an adult, he was a sled-dog racer, where he led dozens of canine teams to victories across New England!
At 88-years-old, LeVasseur is still competing as a track and field athlete, and the documentary is capturing his current season preparing for the National Masters Championship in Ohio this July.
I know Jerry because he was an assistant coach at Bowdoin College, where I ran track and cross country all four years. I developed the idea of returning to Maine to make a documentary about Jerry while I was earning my MFA at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, & Television.
Production began a few weeks ago and I am super excited about the footage I've captured so far. I also launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise additional funds for the project. Check out the video for a taste of what we're working on!
I am trying to get the word out about the film and the crowdfund, and I am wondering if there is any way Sigma Phi might be able to help? If you have a newsletter or social media presence and would be willing to share something or make a contribution, that would be immensely appreciated. I'd love to get Jerry's Sigma Phi brothers involved and aware!
If you have any questions or need anything more from me, feel free to reach out.
Thanks so much! Hope to hear from you soon!
Best,
Andrew
908-202-5561
Editors Note: We have contacted Jerry and verified his identity and received his permission to publish this information.
"Yes Thank you for promoting fitness, fun and friends which to me is what running and exercise is all about.
I am passing this on to Bill Reilly, L1965, a fellow Maine runner and fraternity brother.
Jerry"
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