[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6166]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       IN RECOGNITION OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL LAX FOR A CAUSE EVENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 27, 2017

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
Southwestern Youth Association (SYA), the Chantilly Youth Association 
(CYA) and an outstanding young woman, Tatum Bulger, whose collaborative 
efforts have made ``Lax for a Cause,'' a local, annual pre-season 
lacrosse tournament for charity, a tremendous success. This year, the 
event raised $22,000 for Special Love, a nonprofit organization that 
provides support and resources to children in the Mid-Atlantic region 
with cancer.
  The tournament originated in 2014 when Damien LaRuffa, the 
Commissioner of SYA Lacrosse, Scott Stewart, the Vice Commissioner of 
SYA Lacrosse, and Chris Saben, the Commissioner of CYA Lacrosse, came 
together to brainstorm ideas for charitable sporting events in Northern 
Virginia. Since its inception, the annual event has been a tremendous 
success, previously donating proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project, 
the Fisher House Foundation, and more. This year, Tatum Bulger, a sixth 
grader at Virginia Run Elementary School and avid lacrosse player, who 
was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma last year, approached the organizers 
with the idea of donating the proceeds to Special Love, and the SYA and 
CYA immediately moved forward with the idea.
  Tatum is truly a special and inspirational young woman. She has used 
her individual battle to benefit others and increase awareness about 
pediatric cancer. Additionally, as a member of the SYA Lady Warriors, 
she has maintained her commitment to her lacrosse team, attending 
weekly practices and games, and she has a unique and special impact on 
her teammates and friends.
  Throughout the years, local sponsors and community members have 
covered the majority of the expenses for the all-day ``Lax for a 
Cause'' tournament, which has enabled a majority of the donations to go 
to charity. And while the event organizers were extremely satisfied 
with this year's event, they hope that other teams and youth 
organizations will host similar charity games or tournaments.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me as we recognize ``Lax for a Cause'' 
and the charitable efforts set forth by the SYA, the CYA, and Tatum 
Bulger. Dedicating their time and efforts to helping children and their 
families fight an unthinkable battle with cancer attests to their 
unselfish character and determination to better their community. I wish 
them all of the best in their future endeavors.

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