Premier Lacrosse Tournament at Thayer Academy Fields Raises Money for Dana-Farber

Nearly 30 Division 1 college lacrosse teams will compete in Braintree next month in a tournament designed to bring cancer education and fundraising to young adults throughout the Northeast.

Put together by a Vermont family, the 5th Annual Catamount Classic will feature more than 7,500 players and fans at Thayer Academy's turf fields off Route 37. Over the past four years, the charity has raised almost $130,00 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Kelly and Ryan Curtis started the charity after one of Ryan's lacrosse players at the University of Vermont was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The young man was treated at Dana-Farber and is in full remission, Kelly wrote in a donation letter.

"We learned through this process that early detection is the key to surviving," she wrote. "After this experience we took it upon ourselves to educate as many young adults as possible about the importance of cancer screening and prevention."

The annual contest has become the premier tournament in the area, according to Kelly, and this year will feature two tournaments on Oct. 6 and 7 for 28 Division 1 men's and women's lacrosse teams.

This year the Curtis's are also hosting a Lacrosse On The Links Golf Tournament at the Williston Country Club in Williston, Vermont on Sept. 29 and a Vermont Benefit Concert at Nectar's on Main Street in Burlington on Sept. 25. All of the proceeds from those events are donated to the Inspirational Families Program.

The event in Braintree on Columbus Day Weekend will feature a dunk-tank and a youth clinic for boys ages 12-18. Vendors and merchants include Adrenaline Movement, Lax.com, Boston Cannons, STX, Muscle Milk, Powerade, Q’doba, Tennessee’s Real BBQ, Global Players, Harrow, Jam’n 94.5, Kiss 108 and more.

For additional information and to register for the clinic, go to www.curtislacrosse.com. For more on the Catamount Classic, go to www.catamountclassic.com.