The 2013 Fann Cup has come to an end. And as usual, a great time was had by all. Not only was the water, Gatorade, soft drinks, and other adult beverages poured, but the sweat poured from every player in this lacrosse tournament as they raised money in memory of Tyler Kopp. The totals for the weekend will not be known for a few weeks.
Some people arrived during the day on Thursday, and met for food and drink at The Old Toad, an authentic British Pub. The food was excellent and the drinks, well lets just say, everyone in our group had something different and had a taste. They have a Beer Bible, not just one or two pages, but close to 20+ pages of micro-brews, stouts, ales, no Miller, Budweiser etc… So if ever in Rochester, this is a definite place to go.
The official start was Friday night as final registration was completed, John Terrigino owner of the Stock Exchange Restaurant and bar had drink specials along with the grill being open for food which was nothing short of spectacular. John is also a player in the tournament for the Rochester Krewhawks. Auction items were out for bidding. Some items included a 2011 Toronto Rock Championship jersey signed by the entire team, a Knighthawk game helmet, & uniform (jersey and shorts), Rattler game jersey, etc… There was also a Chinese style auction with various prizes, sports related, cases of beer, gift baskets, etc.. Also, there was some bracelets, necklaces etc made by Andrea Kleve-Frantz, and a quilt knitted by Deb Morgan McAllister. This quilt was made from all of the t-shirts, bags, etc that have been given out during the first eleven Fann Cup’s this was raffled off as well. Deb says she has one in store for next year, cant wait to see that.
As the sun rose on Saturday morning, players went to the Stock Exchange for breakfast before heading to the Rochester Sports Garden for the tournament. Everyone showed up with a smile, no matter how little sleep they may have had, everyone was ready to give it their all.
For me personally I played in eight games. I’m the Co-Captain of the Philadelphia Rage, and a member of the Spirit lacrosse team (winners of the Spirit Cup for having the most fun). I also ran one game with the Rochester Krewhawks. We had other players jump in on other teams that may have been short players, or maybe some players where tired, etc. So it seems that a lot of the players ran with other teams as well as their own. That’s what the tournament is about, having fun, playing lacrosse with your friends and raising money for a good cause.
After the games where completed, we had time before the banquet. So we all headed to the pool to soak our sore muscles, aching bones and to look back on what we just did. The banquet began around 8pm, pulled pork, pasta with fettuccini sauce, French chicken, vegetables, salad, and an ice cream bar for dessert. Auction and raffle prizes where handed out, as we looked back on our accomplishments.
Stephen Stamp from ilindoor.com was recording the games for the players who wanted them, and couldn’t believe how the fans get together for this yearly tournament, and how much passion they have for the game. Bob Chavez also stopped by to take in a game or two before he departed as he had a prior commitment, but echoed the same feelings.
The Toronto Roadies won the tournament, but everyone that was on the floor, helped arrange the tournament, donated, etc, they are the real winners. I didn’t care if my teams won or lost every game. I was there to have fun, and what made it special is having my daughter playing along side of me this weekend. We had plenty of family combinations; father/son, father/daughter, husband/wife,..etc.. As we walked off the field after each game to congratulate each other, I would say “hands and heads held high all day, nothing down”
As the final buzzer sounded, we knew the last ball was shot, a final save was made and the 2013 Fann Cup was a success.
Thank You my Fann Cup Family!! Thank You Rochester for hosting a great weekend!!!
