Boston, MA - At halftime of Saturday’s game between the Dallas Rattlers and the Atlanta Blaze, Major League Lacrosse presented a check to Wheeler Jr. Lacrosse on behalf of MLL and US Lacrosse through their Community Grant Program.

Through this joint partnership, Major League Lacrosse will be donating money, equipment, and tickets to local games to a deserving youth program in each of Major League Lacrosse’s six markets.

Wheeler Lacrosse is located in Marietta, Georgia, just thirty minutes from Silverbacks Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Blaze. Wheeler fields U-11, U-13, and U-15 teams.



The grant will be used to provide scholarships, uniforms, and equipment to players. The goal is to help alleviate and financial barriers to playing the sport of lacrosse.

Beth Taillefer and Marko Burgar of Wheeler Jr Lacrosse talked about the importance of the partnership saying, “the support of Major League Lacrosse and US Lacrosse is critical to our success. We are not a traditional lacrosse community. We are starting from the very beginning. Support from the leading organizations in our sport allow us to provide equipment, training and services to assist in our kids’ development.”

Steve Kirr, the Director of Membership and Regional Development for US Lacrosse shared in that sentiment saying, "Community lacrosse programs are the lifeblood of our sport, providing opportunities and access to thousands of youth players across our nation. US Lacrosse is excited to partner with the MLL in recognizing these local organizations that fuel the growth of the game and foster the love of lacrosse with the next generation of players."

On a more local level, Marcus Williams, who is the Vice President of the Atlanta Blaze said, “The Blaze are proud to support the Wheeler Jr. Lacrosse Program in the hopes of growing the game of lacrosse in the Atlanta area.”

Major League Lacrosse will be announcing the grant recipients for the remaining five markets in the upcoming weeks.