The 2013 LtN Cup

The inaugural LtN Cup was held this past Saturday in conjunction with our partner Lacrosse the Nations. To say it was a success is an understatement. The kids left every ounce of energy they had on the field and, thanks to some incredibly generous donors, we were able to reach our goal and raise over $6,500 for LtN’s feeding programs and the forwardHEALTH clinic.

The girls kicked things off on Saturday. They were split into two teams and played four extended quarters over the course of the day. After the first two quarters the score was 5-0. Although both teams gave it their all, Las Estrellas had too much firepower and won 7-1.

Las Estrellas showing off the hardware

The boys were divided into two groups – Club Hope and Chiquilistagua (Chiqui) – with eight teams total. The teams played each other in a round robin tournament to decide the top four teams, two from each group. In the Chiqui group the two top competitors swapped goals in fierce battle. Meanwhile, in the Club Hope group, the teams were so evenly matched that the last spot in the semis was decided by goal differential.

Battling for groundballs

The semis did not disappoint. Both games were extremely competitive and were decided by one goal. The championship game was more of the same with Club Hope holding a one-goal lead for most of the game. With about a minute to go Chiqui had several close calls but could not tie the game and Club Hope clinched a victory by two goals

Club Hope kids celebrating the Championship!

Afterwards we all sat down together and shared every kid’s favorite meal – pizza. Once our bellies were sufficiently stuffed with za’s we handed out prizes to the Top Goal Scorer (boy and girl), the Best Defender (boy and girl) and trophies for the two winning teams. All of the players who participated also received a medal as a reward for their hard work and sportsmanship.

In the end the LtN Cup really wasn't about wins, losses or who scored the most goals – though the kid’s competitiveness was on full display. It was about coming together, having fun and doing something positive. After almost a month of planning, promoting and fundraising we were able to pull off an incredibly fun day for the kids while furthering our goal of providing quality health care in their community. 

To all of you who donated to make this tournament possible, THANK YOU. The day would not have been a success without your support.

For more pictures, visit the LtN Facebook page here.