In yet another sign that spring is approaching, the Columbia girls lacrosse team began practice on Friday.

You'll find them at Underhill Field between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. going through their drills and practicing their scrimmages. The girls, ranked no. 38 in the state, are serious about lacrosse. They will practice six days a week until the season starts on April 1. At that time, their two or three scheduled games per week will replace some of the practices.

But the girls need your support. They have two major fundraisers upcoming. The first is Saturday, March 6, when they will take to the streets of Maplewood Village and South Orange Village with cans to collect money from passersby and motorists. Look for the girls between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The second fundraiser will be their annual car wash. The tentative date for that event, which takes place in the CHS parking lot, is April 18 (with April 25 and May 9 as possible rain dates). Details to come.

The girls lacrosse team is also working to give back, as they do every year. This year, the girls are collecting gently used and new pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls, which provides shoes to the needy in developing nations.

Already more than 100 pairs have been collected, according to lacrosse mom (and MMS PTA President) Janet Crane and girls lacrosse coach Marge Dempsey. You can drop off shoes at a designated Soles4Souls box just inside the CHS entrance. Or you can bring shoes to a big Soles4Souls Lacrosse Play Day Scrimmage that CHS is hosting at Underhill Field on March 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Patch will provide more details on that event in an upcoming article.

"We're looking to have as many kids and parents come together for this cause as possible," said Crane.