Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/27/12
From Press Release
Moe than 10,000 people are expected Saturday for the 12th Annual Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival Saturday at Radnor High School.
The festival is the largest single-day high school lacrosse festival in the country with 54 varsity teams – (26 boys teams and 28 girls teams), youth teams, more than 20 vendors, and two FanZones with rides, bounces, rock walls, face painters, BBQ, funnel cakes, raffle prices, clothing etc.
The Katie Samson Foundation raises money for research to identify a cure for spinal cord injuries and to optimize care and quality of life for spinal cord patients. The foundation also promotes social awareness as the lacrosse community comes together to support the festival.
It is inspired by its namesake, Radnor grad and NCAA champion Katie Samson, a quadriplegic who suffered a spinal cord injury during a sledding accident in 2000 while a student at Middlebury College (Vt.). Through Samson’s prodigious courage and perseverance, her foundation has successfully raised funds to support spinal cord injury research, patient care, and quality of life improvements.
Samson, as usual, will be heavily involved in the event. She will be playing wheelchair rugby at 11:15 a.m. near the King of Prussia Fanzone and will be at the presentation ceremony at 1:15 p.m. when the Pennsylvania Center for Adaptive Sports will be receiving a check for $10,000. She will later present the Katie Samson Inspiration award on the Library Field at 3:30.
Also, there will be wheelchair games in tennis and basketball.
The Festival is organized by volunteers from the Philadelphia regional lacrosse community and the Katie Samson Foundation. The Katie Samson Foundation raised $150,000 in 2011, after hitting the $1,000,000 mark in 2010. The proceeds go to charities supporting spinal cord injury research, care, and quality of life improvements.
The festival provides the premier high school lacrosse teams in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond with an atmosphere promoting sportsmanship, camaraderie and purpose. This year’s matchups feature many of the top teams in the Philadelphia region and beyond. The marquee boys’ game is once again highly-rated Haverford School vs. Conestoga. A top girls’ game will feature highly-ranked Garnet Valley and perennial national power St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes of Virginia.
Two of this year’s games – Haverford School vs. Conestoga (1:30 p.m.) and Radnor vs. St. Joseph’s Prep (4 p.m.) – will be tape delayed on Kudda.com, a Baltimore-based website. Play-by-play will be provided by Radnor grad Booker Corrigan, a club coach and national sportscaster.
See full schedule of all games below.
The Highlights:
* 27 premier boys’ and girls’ league-sanctioned regular season games, along with several youth team games, at Radnor High School.
* The Fest offers these athletes an opportunity to experience a unique community spirit of giving while competing in a challenging sporting event.
* Seven fields running simultaneously from 9am to 6pm.
* Disabled athletes from Magee Rehab will be demonstrating wheelchair rugby and basketball games.
* High profile sports figures attending past Fests have included: Villanova Basketball Coach – Jay Wright and members of the Villanova Basketball team, Philadelphia Eagles – Brain Westbrook and Mike Mamula; Philadelphia Flyer – John LeClair; and many members of the Philadelphia Wings and Barrage teams, including Jake Bergey and Kyle Sweeney. Speakers for this year’s Fest are TBD.
* Families from all over the mid-Atlantic region will be enjoying games, rides, boutiques, face-painters, balloon artists, great raffle prizes, plenty of food and of course, great lacrosse. There will be two FanZones which will have “Katie’sKiddieKorner” for younger fans, a Mechanical Bull, Rock Climbing Wall, Moonbounces and Slides, B101 music, the DJ Ray Jones, and visits from SpongeBob, Hershey characters and the Wings’ Maddog.
* Food vendors include Bravo Pizza, Johnny’s Dog House, Good Humor, Gumdrops and Sprinkles, Mr Sticky’s sticky buns, Call Me Cupcakes plus Lew’s BBQ, Peace of Pizza and Big E’s funnel cakes and fries.
* Boutique set-ups in both Fan Zones guarantee a shopping opportunity for all, with Varsity Belts, Daphne’s Details, Brooklyn Bags, Maui Wowi, and more.
* Cascade, Competitive Edge, Great Atlantic Lax Co will have the latest lacrosse clothing and gear at great Fest prices.
* In support of local lacrosse legend John Christmas’ foundation LEAPS (Lacrosse Education Attitude Perseverance Success), we are asking Fest attendees to clear out their basement of used lacrosse equipment, and to PLEASE bring it to the Fest, dropping it off at either entrance. This will provide countless opportunities for inner city kids to learn and experience the great sport of lacrosse through John’s passionate efforts to make a difference.
The Cause:
Over $1,100,000 has been donated! Festival contributions have supported:
• Operation First Response – Supporting our nation’s spinal cord injured heroes and their families.
• Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids –Pediatric wheelchairs were purchased for disabled Iraqi kids.
• The Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital. Support for the BMRH Adapted Driving program providing adaptive driving services for spinal cord injured patients. Funds were also specifically donated to the Lokamat Pro Rehabilitation Robotics system to help patients recovering from spinal and brain injury
• The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis – The first ever human clinical trial that employs a combination of cell transplantation and anti-inflammatory medication that protects the regenerating nerve cells in the spinal cord.
• The BrainGate Project at Brown University – Neuroscientists, electrical engineers, and computer scientists featured on “60 Minutes” under the direction of Professor John Donoghue are working together to translate the thoughts about movement into electrical impulses that instruct muscles to perform complex activities while bypassing areas of spinal cord injury.
• The National Transplant and Catastrophic Industry Fund (NTAF) – Contributions help offset the many uninsured medical expenses associated with spinal cord injury patients.
• The Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports and the Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. – Medical advances go hand in hand with the physical activities that maintain muscle tone and improve quality of life. Contributions support athletic programs and equipment for individuals with physical limitations. Murder ball (wheelchair rugby) and adaptive rowing at the Philadelphia Rowing Program for the Disabled on the Schuylkill are activities supported directly by KSF funding. In the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, our US Adaptive Team earned silver and bronze medals in rowing events utilizing a boat donated by KSF.
• Thorncraft – KSF gift purchased an adaptive saddle for therapeutic horseback riding
• The Wellness Center and Fitness Program at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. KSF funds support a multi-purpose trainer and help make exercise more accessible to people with disabilities.
• Christopher and Diana Reeve Foundation – Funds were directed for spinal cord research
Katie Samson – The Inspiration:
Katie Samson grew up in Wayne, Pennsylvania and graduated from Radnor High in 1998. She excelled as a lacrosse goalie, community volunteer, and art enthusiast. While attending Middlebury College in Vermont she helped her team capture the Division III National Championship in 1999 and she was named MVP. The following winter Katie’s life was forever altered when she suffered a spinal cord injury while sledding in a nearby park and became a quadriplegic.
After months of rehabilitation and encouragement from family and friends, Samson went back to finish her degree and help coach her college team to two more National titles. After graduation in 2003, Katie went on to pursue a career in Art History and Museum Studies at the University of Arizona.
Samson’s two brothers, David and Brian, and her father, Peter, coach lacrosse and her younger sister, Molly, is a senior at Radnor High School where she is co-captain of the lacrosse team. For the past 12 years, Katie and her family and the Katie Samson Foundation volunteers have continued to raise money to support spinal cord injury research and increase the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Event Details:
The high school games will begin at 9:00am on Saturday, April 28th. All of the games will be played at Radnor High School! The festival website, http://www.katiesamsonlaxfest.com, has the full schedule as well as all the other exciting details or visit us on Facebook – Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival. An $8 ($5 for students/free for toddlers) recommended admission fee allows unlimited access to all activities and rides within the two Fan Zones.
Supporting the festival offers an opportunity to do something meaningful and historic to impact the lives of people affected by spinal cord injuries. The Katie Samson Foundation is a 501©3 corporation located at 522 Brookside Avenue, St David’s, PA 19087 (610-688-1606). All donations are tax deductible. Please contact Clare Girton, Director of Development, 610-293-9984, claregirton@aol.com, with any questions about sponsorships or donations.
12th Annual Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival
Saturday, April 28, at Radnor High
Boys’ Games
Germantown Academy Vs. Emmaus HS 9:30 AM Prevost
Cardinal O’Hara HS Vs. Bayard Rustin HS 9:30 AM Loop
Hatboro-Horsham HS Vs. Archbishop Wood HS 9:30 AM Creek
La Salle College HS Vs. Downingtown East HS 11:30 AM Prevost
Archbishop Carroll HS Vs. Harriton HS 11:30 AM Loop
St. Augustine Prep (NJ) Vs. Garnet Valley HS 11:30 AM Creek
Haverford School Vs. Conestoga HS 1:30 PM Prevost
Shipley School Vs. Haverford HS 1:30 PM Loop
Brunswick School (CT) Vs. Downingtown West HS 1:30 PM Creek
Malvern Prep Vs. Lawrenceville School (NJ) 3:30 PM Prevost
Hill School Vs. Penn Charter 3:30 PM Loop
Episcopal Academy Vs. Springfield-Delco HS 3:30 PM Creek
Radnor HS Vs. St. Joseph’s Prep 4:00 PM Turf1/Enke
* The home team is the first team named. Prevost Field is the football stadium field. Loop field is below the south side of Radnor HS, parallel to Lancaster Ave. Creek is parallel to King of Prussia School on the east side of Radnor HS. Enke is the turf field on the west side of RHS, parallel to the entrance.
Girls’ Games
Notre Dame Academy Vs. Great Valley HS 9:00 AM Turf1/Enke
Shipley School Vs. Penncrest HS 9:00 AM Library
Villa Maria Academy Vs. WC Henderson HS 9:00 AM Rowland
Radnor HS Vs. Episcopal Academy 10:45 AM Turf1/Enke
Friends’ Central Vs. Upper Dublin HS 10:45 AM Library
Baldwin School Vs. Boyertown HS 10:45 AM Rowland
Mt. St. Joseph Academy Vs.Conestoga HS 12:30 PM Turf1/Enke
Springside School Vs. Methacton HS 12:30 PM Library
William Penn Charter School Vs. Unionville HS 12:30 PM Rowland
St. Agnes & St. Stephen’s School (VA) Vs. Garnet Valley HS 2:15 PM Turf1/Enke
Hill School Vs. Downingtown East HS 2:15 PM Library
Archbishop Carroll HS Vs. Harriton HS 2:15 PM Rowland
Agnes Irwin SchoolVs.Haverford HS 4:00 PM Library
Germantown Academy Vs. Abington HS 4:00 PM Rowland
* The first team named is the home team. Enke Field is the turf field on the west side of Radnor HS. Library Field is on the east side of RHS, parallel to King of Prussia Rd. in the outfield of the baseball field. Rowland field is on the west side of RHS above then entrance road.
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