(Cushing, Okla.) Start stretching, football season is within reach. This year YOU get to play also! Cushing Football and Drumright Dental Center are teaming up to host the 1st Pipeline Crossroads Bowl Flag Football Tournament on August 8, 2015 at Cushing’s O’Dell Field. The games begin at 9:00 pm and will continue under the lights until the last team is standing.
Coach Barrett Shupe along with local dentist Travis Burkett started planning this event while chatting at the recent Bouncin’ Cancer 3 on 3 basketball tournament, which has raised over $50,000 in the last four years for Relay for Life. The players at the 3 on 3 joined in and pledged to come out for the next fun-raiser – fun in the name of charity. Special Olympics Oklahoma and the Cushing Special Olympics teams will benefit from the funds raised by this tournament.
Coach Shupe and Dr. Burkett are also volunteers at the Special Olympics Summer games each May in Stillwater, OK. “Once you experience Special Olympics, you will be hooked. You will want to help more local athletes be able to attend the most fabulous sporting event in the nation!” said Dr. Burkett. Special Olympics Oklahoma hosts the largest summer games in the nation with 5100 athletes attending from across Oklahoma.
Dr. Burkett also serves as the Clinical Director for Special Smiles, the program that provides dental screenings, mouth guards, and education for free to all the athletes at the summer games. “We close down our practices and our entire staff works at the screening tent in the Olympic Village. It is our most rewarding day of our year.” said Dr. Burkett.
Proceeds from the flag football tournament will be donated to Special Olympics. The goal for the first year is to raise at least $10,000 and have twelve co-ed teams participate. The Cushing High School football coaches will be officiating and the Cushing Quarterback club will be manning the concession stands. “We are looking forward to a fun and entertaining evening and we hope the public comes out to support this great event!” said Burkett
Please call 918-352-3312 for additional information or visit the facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/920496681330328/
Tune in to KUSH, Friday, August 7th at 8 a.m. to listen to Coach Barrett Shupe talk about this first time “fun raiser.”
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