Tracey Hope
Special to The Lake Report

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Kinsmen Club has generously donated $1,000 toward the Niagara Thunderhawks 2024 lacrosse season.

A group of parents and player from the club attended a Kinsman meeting to accept the donation.

Donations such as this are a huge help, as the NOTL lacrosse club relies on sponsorship dollars to keep registration fees affordable.

Fees for families are actually priced below the cost of running the program. The remainder of the club’s funding comes from sponsorships and team fundraisers.

Although all of the coaches are volunteer, there are still many expenses, such as equipment, referees and floor rentals.

With the support of our sponsors, the club is able to offer a few free options for families.

In February, the Thunderhawks  hosted three free sessions at which kids were able to come and try out the sport in an informal and fun atmosphere.

The club also has a free spring/summer long lacrosse program for children aged 3 to 5 that includes a free stick.

There are still openings for the spring/summer 2024 season and anyone interested can go to niagaralacrosse.com to register. The season runs from mid-April until the beginning of August.

The Kinsmen Club has a long history of supporting the Niagara Thunderhawks organization, starting way back in 1972.

In addition to sponsoring the club, many Kinsmen members previously played lacrosse with the organization.

In 1973, the “Niagara Kinsmen Warriors” won the trifecta: gold medals at the Ontario Summer Games and the Canada Games (which included the Founder’s Cup) and the Ontario Lacrosse Association championship.

And Kinsmen Monty and Ken Slingerland were among those who continued to volunteer their time coaching minor lacrosse teams over the years