(July 13, 2012)… After successfully launching its Lacrosse For Development program, Right To Play will travel to Whitefish River First Nation near Sudbury, Ontario from July 12-15. The program, which encompasses four weekend-long clinics throughout Ontario, was created in partnership with the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and Professional Lacrosse Players Association (PLPA).

With dedicated support from Curt Styres (Rochester Knighthawks owner) and Arrow Express Sports, over 500 Aboriginal youth from 16 communities will have the opportunity to hone their skills from the NLL’s top players. Knighthawks forward Mike Accursi, who is serving as one of the Right To Play Athlete Ambassadors, will make the trek to the next lacrosse camp this weekend.

“Working with Right To Play and the Lacrosse For Development Program is a real honor,” said the 15-year NLL veteran. “It’s a great opportunity to help kids in remote communities. Lacrosse has done a lot for me and it’s a chance for me to share my love of the game, and help aboriginal youth.”

“Without the support of Right To Play and the partnership with Arrow Express Sports, this program would not have been possible,” added Accursi.

This summer, kids will learn vital lacrosse skills and techniques from NLL players including Chris McElroy (Washington Stealth), Dan Dawson and Paul Dawson (Philadelphia Wings), Scott Carnegie (Calgary Roughnecks), Jeremy Thompson and Luke Wiles (Buffalo Bandits), and Cody Jamieson, Craig Point, Tyler Burton and Accursi (Rochester Knighthawks).

The second camp is from July 12-15, with the final two Lacrosse For Development camps scheduled for July 19-22 in Bimose Tribal Council (Kenora, Ontario) and August 9-12 in Beausoleil First Nation (Midland, Ontario).

The “Right To Play” Lacrosse For Development kicked off its summer session July 6-8 with some of the greatest names in the NLL. The professional lacrosse players taught the “Creator’s Game” to 140 kids at the Oneida Nation of the Thames and the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. Jamieson and Point accompanied Dan Dawson, McElroy, Thompson, Carnegie and Dean Hill at the first clinic held in Oneida Nation of the Thames, which is located near London, Ontario.

“It feels good to pass on some of the teachings that I have been taught after all these years,” said 2012 NLL Championship game MVP Cody Jamieson. “Lacrosse has given us so much so it's good to give back.”

“A couple of guys and I have come up here the past couple of years, and they always want us to come back. It’s good that we have other guys from other teams coming out, because each player brings a different level of lacrosse and experience,” added Point. “We teach them our skills and what we went through. The most meaningful thing to me is that we come out here and show them a good time. We love what you are doing and always try to make sure the kids have fun.”

Arrow Express Sports and Team 22, which is the Authorized Licensee of Under Armour®, provided free sticks and gloves to all the participants at the four summer camps. Team 22 is owned by Styres, Lewis Staats and Paul Gait. Both Styres and Gait visited the first camp on Sunday, July 8th.

“Team 22 is very excited to help develop lacrosse on the Reservations across North America,” said Team 22 President and Knighthawks VP of Lacrosse Paul Gait. “We are trying to expand the sport by bringing it back to the creators of the game.”

Right To Play is supported by an international roster of over 350 Athlete Ambassadors, including Accursi, McElroy, Andrew McBride (Calgary), Dan Dawson, Ryan Cousins (Rochester), and Tracey Kelusky (Buffalo). As role models, these athletes inspire children, raise awareness and promote fundraising opportunities for Right To Play’s programs around the world.

More About Right To Play
Right To Play is a global organization that uses the transformative power of play to educate and
empower children facing adversity in more than 20 countries. A pioneer in its field, Right To Play uses sport and play as tools to build essential life skills and create social change, impacting 835,000 children each week. Programming in Canada includes the enhancement of education in priority schools, and the Promoting Life-skills in Aboriginal Youth (PLAY) program in Northern Ontario. Founded in 2000 by four-time Olympic gold medalist and social entrepreneur Johann Olav Koss, our programs are facilitated by nearly 12,000 volunteer Coaches. Visit us at www.righttoplay.ca.