Riverhead community smiles on Michael Hubbard and his mom with LAX fundraiser tournament

Hundreds of lacrosse players, assembling 28 teams from all across the East End, came together for a mini-tournament in Riverhead PAL’s first-ever “LAX for a Smile” fundraiser to help pay for the costly medical care of Michael Hubbard, a Riverhead student who was severely burned by a gel “firepot” explosion in May 2011 and remains hospitalized.

The fundraiser was dubbed “LAX for a Smile” because, even through all the physical pain and suffering Michael, now 16, has already gone through, he never forgets to smile.

“It means the world to me,” Michael’s mom, Nancy Reyer, said at the event. “To know it’s almost two years and Riverhead still hasn’t forgotten my son.”

“Mike’s a part of the Blue Wave community and always will be,” said Dawn Thomas, volunteer director of the Riverhead PAL girls youth lacrosse program.

“Blue Waves have heart on and off the field,” Thomas said. “That’s what this is all about.”

Thomas said the tournament fundraiser was the brainchild of her counterpart for the PAL boys youth lacrosse program, Ed Lucas. Lucas said he could not believe the outpouring of support from the community for an event he said was only in its preliminary stages just six weeks ago.

“We raised around $6,000 before we even collected any team fees, concession dollars, and raffle earnings,” Lucas said.

To participate in the event, each team donated an average of $200. Valero gas, a major contributor to the event, donated ‘LAX for a smile’ T-shirts for every participant and staff member.

A number of families associated with the lacrosse program chipped in by donating chips, drinks, and candy to be sold at concession stands with every dollar raised going directly to Michael Hubbard and his mother, Nancy Reyer. The concession stand was even open throughout the boys lacrosse game with children carrying platters of items to be sold in the stands. Russ Moran Catering donated hot dogs in such mass amounts that they were sold at a very cheap rate: one dollar for two hotdogs.

Concession stand organizer Debbie Burkowski was thrilled with the local support.

“Nothing was bought,” she said. “Everything we’re selling was donated.”

The group sold 50-50 raffle and chinese auction tickets as well as Mother’s Day flowers.

“It’s heartwarming to see all the local support,” said Burkowski. “Our small community really came together.”

Volunteer event staff arrived at 6:30 a.m., to set up the fields, nets, and concession areas.

Five fields were set up for games to be played, three of them adjacent to the varsity playing field and the other two located at Riverhead High School. The first three fields were designated for the younger group where children as young as five years old participated. The older group, up to age 14, played at the high school.

Even though there were no champions, as it wasn’t a traditional tournament where brackets are formed, each team played at least one game with others playing as many as three. The real champion, without a doubt, was Michael Hubbard, as the community raised $14,000.

Photo captions, from top: Players in the May 4 tournament chase down the ball. RiverheadLOCAL photo by Peter Blasl. Michael Hubbard at Blythedale Children’s Hospital last month. RiverheadLOCAL photo by Courtney Blasl.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl 
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RiverheadLOCAL photos by Michael Hejmej
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