Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/29/17
From Press Release
The KSF (Katie Samson Foundation) Lacrosse Festival will be celebrating its 17th year!
The KSF Lacrosse Festival began in 2000 and has grown into the premier high school lacrosse event in the United States. This year’s festival will be held on Saturday April 29th at Radnor High School, and will be the LARGEST single-day high school lacrosse festival in the country with 54 varsity teams (26 premier boys’ teams and 28 premier girls’ teams on six fields running simultaneously), wheelchair rugby, tennis and basketball games, youth games, 20+ vendors, 10,000+ fans, 50+ major sponsors and 2 FanZones with rides, bounces, rock walls, face painting, BBQ, funnel cakes, raffle prizes, clothing, equipment etc., and a special guest appearance from the Phillie Phanatic! Games begin at 9:00 am. Bring your family, we’ll provide the fun!
Katie Samson
The Katie Samson Foundation gives back! Over $100,000 was raised in 2016 with the generous support of over 50 sponsors, donations from attendees, as well as fundraising efforts by each participating lacrosse team. Since 2000 over $1.8 million has been distributed to charities benefiting medical research and providing care for people with spinal cord injuries– patient care (46 percent), research (43 percent), and quality of life (11 percent).
The Event:
The KSF Lacrosse Festival began in 2000 and has grown into the premier high school lacrosse event in the United States. Motivated by Katie’s perseverance and courage, volunteers in the lacrosse community and beyond support the cause year after year. The festival is filled with activities for the whole family; with exciting lacrosse team match-ups, a demonstration of wheelchair sports, food, fan zones, and a spirit of sportsmanship and purpose. With generous support of over 50 sponsors, donations from attendees, as well as fundraising efforts by each participating lacrosse team, the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival has raised over 1.8 million dollars. We appreciate the tremendous support and we hope to see you at the 2017 Festival.
The Highlights:
* 27 premier boys’ and girls’ league-sanctioned regular season games and several youth team games
* The Fest offers these athletes an opportunity to experience a unique community spirit of giving while competing in a challenging sporting event.
* Six fields running simultaneously from 9am to 5pm.
* Over 10,000 attendees
* Disabled athletes demonstrating wheelchair tennis, basketball and rugby games.
* 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’s Kiddie Korner” for younger fans- with clowns and balloon designs, a Mechanical Bull, Rock Climbing Wall, moon bounces, music, and a visit from the Phillie Phanatic!
* Food vendors in each Fan Zone.
* Boutiques in both Fan Zones guarantee a shopping opportunity for all – including the latest lacrosse clothing and gear at great Fest prices.
The Cause:
The Katie Samson Foundation GIVES BACK! KSF 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. Through Katie’s courage and perseverance, her foundation has successfully raised funds to support spinal cord injury research and rehabilitation programs that provide much needed independence and quality of life improvements for those with spinal cord injuries.
Katie Samson – The Inspiration:
Katie Samson grew up in Wayne, Pennsylvania and attended Radnor High where she was a goalkeeper for the girls lacrosse team. Katie went on to study Art History at Middlebury College where she also played Division III lacrosse and helped her team capture a National Championship in 1999. The following winter Katie suffered a spinal cord injury while sledding and became a quadriplegic.
After months of rehabilitation and encouragement from family and friends, Katie went back to finish her degree and help coach her college team to two more National titles. In 2004, Katie moved to Arizona to pursue her graduate degree where she remained for 6 years. She moved back to the Philadelphia area in 2010 and is currently the Assistant Director of Museum Education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Katie still finds time to play wheelchair sports, such as rugby, tennis and cycling. Katie also enjoys storytelling as a creative art form and performs for different organizations in Philadelphia. As a peer mentor for people who have suffered spinal cord injury through Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Katie encourages her mentees to seek out adaptive sports and therapeutic programs that have had such a positive effect on her life.
Event Details:
The high school games will begin at 9:00am on Saturday, April 29th. All of the games will be played at Radnor High School. The festival website, www.katiesamsonlaxfest.com, has an amazing inspirational video, the full schedule as well as all the other exciting details. Or visit us on Facebook – KSF Lacrosse Festival. A $10 ($5 for students/under 3 is free!) 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. All donations are tax deductible. Please visit our website or contact the Directors of Development, Eric Gorman at KSFlacrossefest@gmail.com with any questions.
2017 KSF Lacrosse Schedule of Games
Boys Games
9:00 AM
Great Valley HS v. Marple-Newtown HS on Prevost Field
Lower Merion HS v. Shipley School on Loop or Library Field
Upper Merion HS v. Archbishop Carroll HS on Creek Field
11:00 AM
Haverford School v. Hun School on Prevost Field
Downingtown West HS v. Germantown Academy on Loop or Library Field
Downingtown East HS v. Central Bucks West HS on Creek Field
1:00 PM
Garnet Valley HS v. Spring-Ford HS on Prevost Field
Harriton HS v. Pennridge HS on Loop or Library Field
Academy of the New Church v. Hill School on Creek Field
2:15 PM
Radnor HS v. v. William Penn Charter School on Encke Field
3:00 PM
Conestoga HS v. Malvern Prep on Prevost Field
Brunswick School-CT v. St. Augustine Prep-NJ on Loop or Library Field
Avon Grove HS v. St. Joseph’s Prep on Creek Field
Girls Games
9:00 AM
Owen J. Robert HS v. Agnes Irwin School on Encke Field
WC Henderson HS v. Baldwin School on Loop or Library Field
Strath Haven HS v. Germantown Academy on Rowland Field
10:45 AM
Abington HS v. William Penn Charter School on Encke Field
Harriton HS v. Unionville HS on Library Field
Great Valley HS v. Notre Dame Academy on Rowland Field
12:30 PM
Conestoga HS v. Bishop Shanahan High School on Encke Field
Garnet Valley HS v. Archbishop Carroll HS on Library Field
Friends’ Central School v. Merion Mercy on Rowland Field
2:15 PM
Lower Merion HS v. Hill School on Library Field
Boyertown HS v. Villa Maria Academy on Rowland Field
4:00 PM
Radnor HS v. Episcopal Academy on Encke Field
Downingtown West HS v. Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy on Rowland Field
Upper Dublin HS v. Shipley School on Library Field