‘For Karoline, I Choose’ campaign starts as Peters Township field hockey honors slain former teammate Karoline Heintz at tonight’s Domestic Violence Awareness game
Karoline Heintz was an incoming student-atlete at PennWest. Photo: PennWest Athletics
A Western Pennsylvania field hockey team is turning grief into action after the death of former teammate Karoline Heintz, launching an October campaign in her memory that will raise money for the One Love Foundation and encourage young people to recognize the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Heintz, 18, was found dead Aug. 20 in the rear cargo area of her Jeep near the California Area Public Library, close to the campus of Pennsylvania Western University in California, Pennsylvania.
She was an incoming student-athlete at PennWest about to start her freshman year. Heintz was a recent Peters Township graduate who played both field hockey and soccer.
Pennsylvania State Police allege that her boyfriend, Royce Moser, stabbed her after the two met to discuss their relationship, and that his mother, Rachel Moser, later helped clean the vehicle and abandon it.
Royce Moser faces criminal homicide and related charges; Rachel Moser faces charges including hindering apprehension and evidence tampering. The accusations have not been proved in court.
Moser told investigators during an interview that a demonic entity possessed him and ordered the attack.
Against that background, the Peters Township field hockey team set a $10,000 goal for One Love, a nonprofit that teaches young people about healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors.
The monthlong effort begins with a fundraiser and the message “For Karoline, I Choose…,” inviting supporters to choose values such as respect, kindness, honesty, and healthy love.
Captain Ceci Reyes said Heintz’s character affected her team on and off the field.
“Karoline was the kind of teammate that you could always lean on to make you a better person and player,” Reyes said. “She was constantly pushing herself to be her best and doing it all with a smile on her face.”
Reyes said Heintz had an infectious personality and she would always remind them that “they could do hard things.”
The team wants supporters of their cause to learn more about One Love and gain practical resources.
The campaign grew from the players’ desire to do something meaningful in Heintz’s memory. Players took ownership by developing fundraising ideas, contacting businesses, creating social media content, and planning additional activities for later in the month.
The organizers said success will not be measured by donations alone.
They hope the campaign prompts conversations among friends, teammates, parents and students while showing young people that resources are available.
The campaign’s central phrase, “For Karoline, I Choose…,” asks participants to consider both the relationships they want and reflects on the way that they, too, treat others.
By choosing words such as respect, kindness, honesty, or healthy love, the team hopes supporters can honor Heintz through decisions that foster healthier relationships.
One Love was a natural partner because its educational mission closely matched the team’s goals. The foundation focuses on helping young people understand healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors, a message the organizers considered especially relevant to high school and college students.
Reaching the $10,000 goal would be a milestone, but the broader impact matters most to the team. Early community support has already encouraged the players.
The team will hold the Karoline25 fundraiser all month, which includes a “25 for 25” challenge encouraging $25 donations in honor of Heintz, who wore No. 25.
For Reyes, the campaign also preserves the example Heintz set as a teammate.
Heintz could make others laugh, push them to improve and remind them that difficult moments were manageable. She was the kind of player who would rally a team even when they trailed 3-0 in a game insisting they could turn things around if they continued to push for all 60 minutes.
“Getting to play defense with Kar for the last two years has taught me that I not only can do hard things, but that I can enjoy doing them because I get to do it with teammates that I love,” Reyes said.
According to the team’s Instagram account, Peters Township field hockey is hosting North Allegheny in their Domestic Violence Awareness Game on Monday, Oct. 5.
The junior varsity game starts at 6:15 p.m. followed by varsity at 7:45 p.m.
“Come support PTFH as we stand together against domestic violence and work toward our fundraising goals.”
If you or someone you know is struggling to understand whether their relationship is healthy or unhealthy, visit the One Love Foundation website to learn more.
To make a donation, visit the One Love Foundation fundraising page set up in her memory.
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