By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/5/12

The 6th annual Evanfest lacrosse festival April 14 at Malvern Prep will feature a hot new t-shirt, its largest field and a most impressive high school game to cap off a special day of celebration and remembrance.

This year a record 40 youth boys’ lacrosse teams from the region will compete in 6th, 7th and 8th grade divisions. Each team will play twice on six fields, and the event will conclude at approximately 4 p.m. when Malvern Prep hosts Long Island power St. Anthony’s.

Evanfest honors the legacy of Evan Brady, a Malvern Prep grad who passed away Sept. 21, 2005, after a lengthy battle with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer). The event has raised over $500,000 and helped 125 families that have a child with a life-threatening illness.

Bill Brady, Evan’s father and the creator of the event, said the number of teams rose from its usual 24 or 26 because Malvern finished building its sixth field. The highlight of the day will be the high school matchup between the Friars of St. Anthony’s (2-0), ranked No. 1 by ESPNHS in its POWERADE FAB 50, and the Friars of Malvern (2-3, ranked No. 36).

Evanfest, which begins at 8 a.m. is run by an all-volunteer staff and all money donated goes directly to families in need. Thee is no admission to the event, but all donations are accepted and there will be plenty of Evanfest gear and food and drinks at the concessions.

The tradition of closing with a high school game began two years ago when Malvern played St. Joseph’s Prep on Evanfest. Current Malvern coach Dave Metzbower is friends with St. Anthony’s coaches and the game was added recently when both teams looked to fill their schedules.

“I think it’s awesome,” Bill Brady said. “Our area of lacrosse has grown so much that teams of the caliber of St. Anthony’s want to come here and play our same high caliber teams.”

This year Evanfest is again selling a special t-shirt. The maroon polyester, made by A4, sells for just $10 still and features a lax head log with Evan’s No. 19 and the familiar “Laxgiving for Children I Need”.

The t-shirts also can be purchased through lacrosse players at the following college campuses: Oberlin College men, Villanova men & women, North Carolina men, St. Joseph’s men, Loyola men, Holy Cross men, Franklin & Marshall men, Bryant men, Drexel men, Cabrini men & woman, Delaware women, James Madison women, Univ of Penn men & Penn State men & women. The Malvern Prep and Penncrest high school programs are also selling the shirts.

Brady is happy to take pre-orders for larger amounts of t-shirts. Pickups can be arranged at the event or by contacting him at bill@evanfest.com.