The Casey Powell World Lacrosse Foundation has been officially announced as the charity partner of the 2018 Vail Lacrosse Shootout! The 2018 Vail Shootout will take place in Vail, Colorado from June 24 through July 4, 2018.
If you haven’t been out to Vail, you really need to go… it’s an unreal experience!
Now entering its 46th year (46 years – that’s simply amazing!), the annual Vail Lacrosse Shootout is the premier summer lacrosse event in the country. The tournament draws more than 13,000 lacrosse players, coaches, officials and fans of all ages from America, Canada and around the world to Vail, Colorado each summer. Players can participate in a ton of different divisions, which range from High School to 60+ Super Grand Masters, and everything in between.
Casey Powell has played in Vail a number of times, but last year he went out to play with the Magic Wands, and the team went on to win the 40+ Grand Masters championship. I asked Casey if he would be coming back in 2018 to play again, he gave an effusive “YES”:
CP: “I’m going back to defend the title this year, and I’ll be bringing some more of my friends with me. We are looking forward to representing the World Lacrosse Foundation Magic Wands again this year. I joined the “Wands” last summer and while I didn’t know a lot of the guys before the tourney, I left Vail with 20 new buddies. We are really hoping that the other teams in the tournament will share and support our mission of helping lacrosse families dealing with injury and illness.”
I also asked Casey why he chose Vail as his charity’s event partner. There are a number of good summer events out there, and while Vail is obviously amazing, I was curious what drew CP back to the mountains of Colorado, not only to play, but also to give back to those in need.
CP: “I first came to Vail Shootout in college and it’s my favorite destination to visit every year. It’s a magical place to explore, the weather is perfect, the tournament organizers do a great job, the tourney itself offers world class competition and it’s always great to get the opportunity to hang out with old friends and new. I’m fired up just thinking about heading back this summer.
“The sport of lacrosse uniquely inspires and unites players and people through an incredible spirit and sense of camaraderie. The Vail Lacrosse Shootout is the perfect venue to raise awareness of the Foundation as the event has an amazing spirit and sense of camaraderie all its own. The Foundation does so much to aid severely injured and sick lacrosse players and their families. The donations we raise from the alliance with Vail Shootout will help enable the Foundation to aid another 20 families or more in 2018 and beyond.
“This is our most important fund raising event and I couldn’t think of a better place to do it.”
As the World Lacrosse Foundation has grown, the need for funding has also increased. When I asked Casey about the Foundation, and what its goals were for 2018, he really opened up. It’s going to be a year of growth and assistance for the CPWLF, and Casey explained it all in detail!
CP: “When Heather and I started the World Lacrosse Foundation to focus on spreading the goodwill of lacrosse and, most importantly, to help lacrosse players and families facing physical and health challenges, we had no idea of how big the need really was!
“Over the course of the last couple of years, we have been overwhelmed with requests from lacrosse players and their families for us to include their sick child, parent, or injured player in our program of “support moments”. Our focus was then, and is now, to support sick and injured lacrosse players and their families. And our focus has never been stronger. Our lacrosse ambassadors, many active and former greats of the game and myself, fly around the country to connect with players and families who desperately need and crave these “Support Moments”. We then create a network of support for them and stay by their side throughout. Each situation is unique and different but we always find ways to navigate the course, and strive to uplift people who deserve help and support.
“For 2018 we have become laser-focused on improving our fundraising efforts. We have a goal to deliver at least 20 support moments in 2018, adding 10 to 20 every year after that. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that we need donation funding to increase substantially to meet and exceed those goals. That is just one of the many reasons as to why we are so appreciative of the Vail Shootout to have named us their official charity.
“We hope that teams coming to the Shootout will each fund raise on our behalf. A concerted “team effort” will enable us to meet our 20 support moments goal, and then some. If every participant in the Shootout donated just $5 to the CPWLF, we would be able to meet the needs of so many families, but we need so much more to really do our charitable work to its fullest extent.
“This partnership is critical to the lacrosse world learning more about what we do, and digging deeper to help us help lacrosse players and their families who are facing health and injury crises.”
In conjunction with Vail Shootout representatives, Casey Powell and other world class lacrosse players (who act as “Lacrosse Ambassadors” for the Foundation) will host youth clinics, SPEED Lacrosse demos, and field Lacrosse clinics open to all Shootout participants.
About The Casey Powell World Lacrosse Foundation
The World Lacrosse Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization that exists to unify and
energize the sport of lacrosse throughout America and across the globe. Founded by Heather Chase O’Neill, the Foundation’s most important work is through an extraordinary passion and dedication supporting severely injured and sick lacrosse players and their families. Fundraising efforts and donations are used to do that work. For more information on the Casey Powell World Lacrosse Foundation or to make a donation please visit: https://www.worldlacrosse.org, and for sponsorship or major donations please contact Heather at heather@worldlacrosse.org
About the Vail Lacrosse Shootout
The Vail Lacrosse Shootout started in 1973 in Aspen and made its permanent move to Vail in 1979. Since then, the tournament has enjoyed steady growth and become a fixture on the lacrosse
landscape. The Shootout venue is unequalled anywhere and every summer lacrosse players and
their families come to the Vail Shootout for fun, great competition and family activities, celebrating their sport. For more information on the Vail Lacrosse Shootout, visit: https://vaillacrosse.com
And don’t forget to check out Episode 3 of Unsettled Situation, which is all about the magic that is Vail Lacrosse!