Rob Reilly has dedicated his life to the youth in our communities across New England. Rob, a native of Somerville, MA was inspired by his cousin Billy Johnson’s courageous battle with cancer. He decided to take all that he learned from this experience and pass his message on to others. He is driven everyday by the memory of Billy’s strength, persistence, and courage.

Rob’s goal is to reach as many people as he possibly can and deliver the message that "You can make a difference". He has spoken to over 200,000 student athletes of all ages. These individuals have taken the Need To Lead message and made it their own.

As I've grown up, I have been priviledged to be able to receive basically anything that I ever wanted and to to be healthy. For many years, I have taken this for granted and not fully appreciated it. After joining NTL through my youth hockey program, I began to realize how lucky I truly was.

Through many events that I have volunteered for, my mindset has changed greatly. Although at times the people who are benefitting from these events do not get to see how many people care and show support, it is still a great feeling knowing that with my support, someone who may be less priviledged is being helped.

Putting a smile on their faces is absolutely worth my time and I can't even explain how much of a positive impact that has had on me.

Patrick Baker

I joined Need To Lead shortly after my brother did. I saw how much fun he was having helping other people and I wanted to help too.

I recently joined and have only done a couple of events. I got to help during the clothing and toy drives. It feels good to know that I am helping people in need, even if they don't know.

I also got to do the Passion Plunge. That was awesome. We had so much fun with this event and was able to raise so much money. I can't wait to do it again next year. And just a couple of weeks ago, we also were able to volunteer at a walk that was a fundraiser for Hemophilia.

When helping people who aren't as lucky as us, it really makes me realize how lucky I am. I have so much, and myself and my family are happy and healthy. This is something that I have taken for granted for so long.

I love Need To Lead because helping other people is important and it can also be fun.

Shannon Baker

Our experiences in Need To Lead have opened our eyes to the needs and struggles of people around us. Volunteering with Need to lead provides us proof of why we need to be so grateful for the lives we have. It has shown us the reality of life: that not all people have what we have. Volunteering with Need To lead has helped us to recognize the misfortune others are dealing with.

Need To Lead is about helping those who cant provide help for themselves. That's where Need To Lead steps in, going out of our way to create opportunities for more and more people. When you take action and volunteer at a toy or clothing drive , you feel good knowing that you are making an unfortunate child warm and happy.

Need to Lead plays a big role in the success of the Special Olympics. Every year we walk out of the Special Olympics Track & Field event as a group feeling really good about what we did that day, and also knowing how many kids we helped and how much it means to them. We have also met and become friends with some great kids through our work with Need to Lead that we never would have never known otherwise. Need to Lead provides a very special opportunity for all of us kids to help those in need.

Mike & Eddie Merrigan
Boston Colllege High School

When I first heard about NTL, I really didn’t know what to expect. I had no idea of the impact it would have on me. I view things from such a different perspective now that I am more aware of how blessed I really am.

Each outing with NTL is such a great time. We arrive before events to help put out banners, set up tents, etc. Then, we all contribute separately to help everything go smoothly. We try to focus on building community and forming bonds among people. I am proud being on a team whose work touches the mind, body, and spirit of those they serve.

Thomas Bono
Nobles and Greenough