Culturefest 2019

On November 2, 2019, the Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation hosted its annual "Culturefest", a festival that brought the community together through food, live music, games, dance, and more.

With the Culturefest being hosted at CMIT Academy North High School, our program was able to have a platform to share our mission of providing opportunity, improving inclusivity, and fostering the oldest game in North America.

Our booth showcased the game of lacrosse and its history to the community. Additionally, thanks to the hard efforts of Oni Chaytor '21, Sarah Suleman '21, Becky Takang '21, Kaitlin Quarshie '21, Kavya Gouda '21, and Yashi Gouda '24, we were able to provide demonstrations for children of all ages to try passing, cradling, and shooting lacrosse balls. As our program cleaned up the booth, a few of our girls smiled ear-to-ear. When the coach asked them why they were so happy they said, "We know how you feel now". They said today was one of the most rewarding experiences they have ever had at CMIT. They were so proud that they were given a space to teach the younger children who stopped by their booth. They were so proud to help those who have never even heard of this game but broke into pure joy and elation after making one completed pass, one completed catch, or one shot on goal.

"The feeling of being able to share this game and help possibly start a long lacrosse journey for many younger girls was an unforgettable experience," Sarah Suleman '21 said before they collectively agreed that our program should never be about the wins or losses, but how many people we can reach.

"It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived. Let's scatter the good things.”- Helen Walton