Catholic University’s Cardinal Stadium will host the Third Annual CUA Hero’s Charity Lacrosse Tournament. The tournament, to be held on Saturday March 6, 2010, will feature four high school preseason games played throughout the day. There are a number of individuals and organizations that work together to make the tournament a successful day for everyone involved.

Each year, the proceeds raised by the charity tournament are dedicated to a different cause. The First Annual Hero’s Tournament was held in honor of U.S. Army Specialist Thomas “T.J.” Barbieri II, of Gaithersburg, Maryland who died on August 23, 2006, south of Baghdad, Iraq when his patrol countered enemy forces small arms fire during combat operations.

T.J.’s parents, Carol and Tom, have been devoted members of the Catholic University community. Tom has been an assistant coach for the Cardinal football team and their son Matt, one of T.J.’s three brothers, was a midfielder on the lacrosse squad.

This year, proceeds from the event will benefit organizations that battle various cancers and causes that benefit wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Fox News covered the story this past weekend on the Marine Corps Marathon and on the handcrank cycle that has been dedicated in TJ Barbieri’s honor. TJ Barbieri is the son of CUA Assistant Football Coach Tom Barbieri and his wife Carol. The Barbieri’s other son Matt currently plays on the CUA Lacrosse team. The Lacrosse team, along with the Barbieri’s and Genna Griffith of the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, worked together to raise money to purchase the cycle at the First Annual Hero’s Charity Lacrosse Tournament featured in the story. This year’s Second Annual Hero’s Lacrosse Tournament will take place on March 21, 2009.