The Shootout for Soldiers, a 24-hour lacrosse game benefiting wounded American military members that has raised more than $250,000 since its inception, will expand to the Field of Dreams Park in Massapequa on July 24 and 25.
The event, which was started by a group of high school students, has expanded dramatically each year with more than 2,000 participants and 10,500 attendees taking part in the 2013 charitable event. The expansion to Massapequa, according to organizers, represents the first expansion leg in a program anticipated to spread throughout the country.
People interested in participating in the 2014 event can register as a team or as an individual by visiting www.ShootoutForSoldiers.com. The games are open to both male and female participants with no age restrictions and the cost to participate per individual is $20.
“We have received incredible interest from more than 60 different cities across the country asking us to expand the event into their region,” said Tyler Steinhardt, founder and director of Shootout for Soldiers. “Based on the combination of an incredibly active and organized lacrosse community, as well as an impassioned group of supporters of our nation’s veterans, expanding to Long Island was the natural fit. We’re extremely fortunate to work with such an incredible team in the area and are excited to continue to support our nation’s heroes through the sport of lacrosse.”
The event will start at 9 a.m. and end 24-hours later. While the game is just for fun, the score is kept continuously throughout the event between the two teams, Stars and Stripes, and in 2013, Stars won 349-336.
“Our service members sacrifice so much for our country, and my team and I are honored to be able to give back in some way,” Steinhardt said. “We’re incredibly grateful for all of the support, and we’re excited to continue to expand and develop the Shootout for Soldiers.”
For additional information, check out the website at www.shootoutforsoldiers.com or contact Tyler Steinhardt at tyler.steinhardt@shootoutforsoldiers.com
