Get Your Kicks While Helping Kids!
Dream Factory Prepares for Fifth Annual Kickball Tournament
Several dreams came true this past year. Frankie Palladino met D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Kobe Bryant, stars of the Lakers Basketball Team. Sophia Coppola visited the San Diego Zoo and Amelia Weed traveled to Give Kids the World. Those who participated in our annual kickball tournament helped to make these dreams come true!
The fifth annual Kicks for Kids Kickball tournament will return Saturday, August 6, to the Syracuse Kickball Park in Liverpool.
“Kickball is a low-impact sport that is fun for everyone,” said Tracy Pierce, Area Coordinator for the Dream Factory of Syracuse. “Our board has formed a team each year since starting this tournament in 2012, and every year we have a blast, all while helping our Dream Kids. You can bet we’ll be back on the fields again this year and we hope to see a lot of new faces.”
Registration for the double-elimination kickball tournament is available online for $25 per person, which includes tournament play, umpire fees, a T-shirt, tournament keepsakes and more. If you register an entire team of 10 before June 30, you will receive $25 off the $250 registration price.
“While we encourage participants to register an entire team, we can also connect those with just a few players with other participants to form a whole team,” Pierce said.
About Dream Factory
A long-standing, volunteer-based organization, the Dream Factory’s goal is to give children suffering from a chronic or critical illness a reprieve from the struggles they face on a daily basis.
“Just because a child is not terminally ill doesn’t mean every day is not a constant struggle. This is why we extend dream-granting to all children suffering from chronic and critical illnesses,” Pierce said.
In the past year, the organization granted the dreams of Michaela Burt, who traveled to Disney World with her family, and Abigail Anderson, who received a wheelchair bike so she could enjoy outings with her family. The volunteer-run organization is now working to grant the dreams of Amelia Hope Weed, Sophia Coppola, Frankie Paladino, and Calli Craven.
The volunteer-run organization is now working to grant the dreams of Amelia Hope Weed, 14,of Auburn, and Abigail Anderson, 7,of Canastota.
“Whether meeting a famous celebrity or sending a child and his/her family on a dream vacation, Dream Factory gives these children a welcome diversion by granting their dreams, as well as unforgettable memories for them to share with their families,” Pierce said.
Serving Onondaga, Oswego, Madison and Cayuga counties, the Syracuse branch of the Dream Factory continues to raise awareness and, as a result, has seen an influx of applications. Criteria for Dream Factory children include the following: child must be between the ages of 3 and 18; child must have a critical or severe chronic illness; must not have received a dream from any other wish-granting organization.
Relying on the sole support of individuals, corporations and foundations, 90 percent of the nonprofit’s generated revenue is used to grant dreams for local dream children. To learn more about Dream Factory, please visit dreamfactoryincsyr.org.
Now for theTourney Details:
Date & Start time: Saturday 10/22, times TBD.
Tournament Format: Two Divisions, double elimination, five-inning games. Seeds will be determined randomly (drawn from a hat).
Teams: 10 players on the field, three must be female. More players are welcome and can kick all game!
Cost: $25 per player.
Cost Includes: Tournament play, awards, umpire fees, shirts for the team and entertainment!
