DATE: Sept. 13, 2002
CONTACT: Paul Krome, pkrome@lacrosse.org

US Lacrosse Foundation Names Brett Haire President

Baltimore — The US Lacrosse Foundation Board of Directors has elected Brett Haire of Summit, N.J., president. Haire succeeds Frank Riggs of Owings Mills, Md., who will remain on the US Lacrosse Foundation Board as past president.

Haire, a longtime youth sports activist, served as treasurer of the US Lacrosse Foundation from 2000-02. His term as president will expire July 31, 2004.

"We’re very lucky and grateful to have Brett Haire as the new president of the US Lacrosse Foundation," said Sally Ratcliffe, US Lacrosse director of development. "Frank Riggs was instrumental in helping to develop lacrosse throughout the nation during his tenure, and we thank him for his leadership. Brett has ambitious goals for raising funds to fuel the growth of the game, and we’re eager to support him as his term gets underway."

Haire is the president of Brave Asset Management, a Summit-based investment advisory firm that serves the investment needs of local families. He also is the vice-chairman of the Planning Board, director of the Summit Lacrosse Club, former president of the Summit Schools Boosters Association and former trustee of the Summit Area YMCA. He also created the Other Fellow First Foundation, a collaboration of local businesses that donates to needy families.

"Lacrosse has been very generous to my family. My three sons have enjoyed the dividends, and the people I’ve met through lacrosse are very nice," said Haire. "It’s my turn to give back to the sport that’s given so much to my family."

Haire’s primary focus will be to raise funds necessary to enable US Lacrosse, the sport’s national governing body, to support and serve the sport. "Growth is a good thing, but growth can be a slippery slope and turn into a liability. Lacrosse is growing, but it’s going to require working capital to sustain it," said Haire. "We must recognize that US Lacrosse is going to move only as fast as the US Lacrosse Foundation can fund."

Last year Haire helped organize the single largest lacrosse fundraiser ever, the first annual US Lacrosse Foundation fall putting tournament that raised better than $85,000. He will focus on five areas of priority during his leadership: corporate partnering, special projects, the US Lacrosse Fund, planned giving, and endowments. He hopes to help the US Lacrosse Foundation raise $10 million to support lacrosse expansion efforts.

The US Lacrosse Foundation is an independent non-profit corporation that operates in support of US Lacrosse. The principal aims and objectives of the Foundation are to encourage, foster and promote the sport of lacrosse, as played by both men and women, in the U.S. and, in particular, to benefit and support the programs and activities of US Lacrosse.

US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse.

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