The Town of Oyster Bay will once again host the Shootout for Soldiers Lacrosse Game Benefit scheduled for July 16 and 17. The 24-hour benefit will be held at the Town of Oyster Bay’s Field of Dreams, located on Old Sunrise Highway in Massapequa. The round-the-clock event, which begins on the morning of July 16 at 9 a.m., will benefit American Military personnel. A special ceremony that celebrates the event and honors both veterans and those currently serving in the United States Military will be held at 6 p.m. later that evening.
“Once again, Shootout for Soldiers will be played on Long Island and we are extremely proud and pleased that one of our outstanding town fields has again been selected as the venue for this highly regarded event,” said Supervisor John Venditto. “Everyone who participates in this lacrosse event plays for the both the love of the game and to support those who serve our country.”
Shootout for Soldiers is a fun lacrosse event for players and teams of all ability levels and ages. Participants include boys and girls, men and women, seniors, youth, high school and college players with each group taking the field for one hour. Teams that accommodate players with special needs are also scheduled to play. One of the highlighted games is a matchup between the NYPD and the FDNY, scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.
The event raises money for organizations that support those who served the nation as well as those currently in the U.S. Armed Forces. The beneficiaries of this year’s event are the Wounded Warrior Project, the Semper Fi Fund, the Ranger Lead the Way Fund, the Gary Sinise Foundation and Team Red, White and Blue. At the 2014 event, more than $80,000 was raised in support of the United States Armed Forces.
The event is broken down into 24 continuous, 1-hour sessions. Registered players and teams will be given jerseys and placed on either the Stars team or the Stripes team and matched against a team of similar ability. Last year, the outcome wasn’t decided until the last game was finished, with the Stars defeating the Stripes by a score of 214-210.
Venditto said he is already looking forward to the game.
“The event is set to be a great experience for the players and supporters are sure to have fun rooting for the participants,” he said. “I expect those in attendance will appreciate the opportunity to see these teams compete and also help support several important causes. It is a tremendous source of pride that these teams will compete at the Field of Dreams, which many feel is among the finest in the nation.”
Harry Jacobs, chairman of the Shootout for Soldiers Committee, said this event has been a big success elsewhere and he is looking forward to bringing it to Long Island. He expressed his appreciation to all those who helped make it possible.
“I would like to give special thanks to all those involved in the planning of this event, especially the Town of Oyster Bay,” said Jacobs. “The contributions and support of the many talented and capable people helped make Shootout for Soldiers a reality here on Long Island and will make this a great event that is a unique and fun way to support our troops.”
Teams interested in participating can register online at www.shootoutforsoldiers.com. More information is also available by contacting Harry Jacobs by email at hjacobs@djjtechnologies.com or by phone at 516-315-3002.
