Sticks for Soldiers, 5th Annual Thanksgiving Charity Lacrosse Tournament

Once again this Thanksgiving weekend, the Fairfield Ludlowe High School Boy's Lacrosse program is hosting the annual "Sticks For Soldiers" Charity Lacrosse Tournament to benefit wounded service men and women. This is the 5th Annual, and the event has raised over $44,000 since its inception in 2006.  This charity event is organized and run by the high school players and volunteer parents.

In years' past, funds have been donated to foundations like the Wounded Warrior Project and others. This year, the players decided to target the fund raising efforts to one person- Army Specialist Brendan Marrocco of Staten Island, NY who was severely wounded in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  On Easter Sunday 2009,  22 year old Specialist  Marrocco's vehicle sustained a direct hit by an Explosive Fired Projectile (EFP) in Iraq and he became the first soldier of  the Iraq and Afghanistan  conflicts to lose all four limbs in combat and survive. The funds will go towards building him a disability-accessible home in Staten Island.

The primary mission of this tournament is to provide support and give thanks to the service men and women who put their lives on the line for our country. A worthwhile secondary objective is create a mature awareness among the high school students as to the unseen sacrifices being made on their behalf  by people just a few years older than themselves.

We currently have 24 teams from the Tri-state region– amazingly 10 more than last year as the word of this cause is spreading. Funds will be raised by team entry fees, silent auction, T-shirt sales, and a healthy team- fundraising competition already underway. Please see the attached press release, and for more information about Brendan, see www.sticksforsoldiers.org.