Frisco Lacrosse Association hosts weekend fundraiser

The fields of B.F. Philips Park will show sportsmanship and patriotism on Saturday and Sunday, as 90 teams participate in the Frisco Lacrosse Association's fundraising event for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Jill Hornback, Frisco Lacrosse Publicity Chair said the Frisco Lacrosse Association will host teams from around the metroplex including: Southlake, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Flower Mound, and Coppell. The organization also has a team traveling as far as Edmond Okla. for the games.

The proceeds from the game will go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, which according to its website, the purpose of the organization is, "to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured service members aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members."

Hornback said the organization also helps wounded veterans with services that range from assisting veterans to find employment, to family counseling, to home renovations for veterans who need wheelchair assistance.

Frisco Lacrosse Event Chair Joe Quenet said one of the team's parents presented the idea of the Wounded Warrior Project to the lacrosse association. He added that the money the organization receives also goes towards the veterans' medical bills after they return home.

"Once you get discharged, you're pretty much on your own, but you've got significant medical costs, you've got psychological costs and so on," Quenet said. "They [Wounded Warrior Foundation] try to help with that, so the money goes towards prosthetic limbs, educational training, things like that."

During the games, the lacrosse association will sell athletic gear to help raise money for the veterans' organization.

Quenet said several vendors have "agreed to donate their profits of the day to the wounded Warrior Project."

This is the second year the lacrosse association has hosted the event. In 2011, Quenet said the association raised $3,000 in one day after the second day was cancelled due to inclement weather. This year, Quenet said, the lacrosse association is hoping to raise $5,000.

The games will begin at 10 a.m. and run to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

"We're looking at 28 games a day, so far, that's the schedule that it got approval on, so that's 56 teams a day," Quenet said. "I'm going to say at least 17 kids on each team so, [we] probably have close to 1,500 kids playing."

In honor of the veteran organization, Quenet said some of the teams will wear camouflage uniforms.

"Some whole teams might have uniforms based on camouflage, there are really special uniforms for this event," Quenet said.

Quenet said this is event is important because the city of Frisco is "relatively so new" and there are not many traditions.

"So one of the things that's special about lacrosse, because we're really looking at a sport that has a reputation, outside of traditional lacrosse areas, as being an elitist sport, which it really is not," Quenet said. "We wanted to show the community that we really care, we don't do things for profit -- we're really not into this for profit ... that was one of the main things. The other is, we just want to look for ways we can -- build on something and have a tradition ... we're hoping that the word gets out and that every year the program just continues to grow."

The lacrosse association holds three major events each year, one is the golf tournament, which helps raise money for the organization itself, and the other two are held to raise money for charity. In October, the lacrosse association held a "pink out the game" event to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

"These two special events that we do are really just geared towards giving back to charity, giving back to the community."

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