Check out this past week’s biggest stories from Burlington Township.
Burlington Township Field Hockey preparing for annual “Play4theCure” fundraiser
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness and trying to inform others about the serious disease. The Burlington Township High School field hockey team and several of the players’ parents are preparing for the annual “Play4theCure” game, set to take place Oct. 11 against Pennsauken High School at Green Acres Park. The junior varsity game is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. with varsity scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The rain date is scheduled for Oct. 12. The game, which is also the team’s senior night, is a fundraiser to help raise both awareness and money to fight breast cancer. “Our donations for the last two years have been $3,312 for 2015, $4,510 for 2016,” Mary Ellen Guzdek said. “It has improved over the years, and we have continued to try and make it a better experience for everyone.”
Burlington Township Girls Soccer hoping to be strong in division and playoffs
Last season was a solid one for the Burlington Township High School girls soccer team, as it finished with a 10–8–2 record and made the Central Jersey Group 3 playoffs. The Falcons are in a highly competitive BCSL Liberty Division, which saw five teams finish with double-digit victories last season. Kim Lamenteer is in her 13th year as head coach of the team, and is having early season success in 2017. The Falcons have a 5–0 record through Sept. 19, defeating their opponents by a combined score of 15–0. Even with a good record, the coach believes the team still needs to improve. “We’ve been taking accountability and staying focused on the next opponent and not looking further ahead,” Lamenteer said. “The girls have been playing very well against tough teams but are still struggling to maintain a consistent level of play against all our opponents.”
Burlington Township rising senior Cory Smith looking to help the Falcons become respected
Cory Smith has had soccer in his blood since he was 4 years old. The Burlington Township senior goalkeeper has continued to work at his craft since his days as a child. Unlike other players who may want to get in the spotlight by scoring goals or chipping in assists, Smith has stuck true to the position he first gave a chance during his youth. “I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4, and I started playing goalie during my township days,” Smith said. “One of our keepers was away so they asked if I wanted to fill in, I figured I did pretty well and stuck with it ever since.” Now Smith is 18 years old and ready for his final few months in a Burlington Township soccer jersey. He has been the starting varsity keeper the last two years, and is a captain this season. “We know we’re in a tough division,” Smith said. “We just try to label ourselves as underdogs and we want to change some opinions that people have about us.”
An evening with inspirational speaker Chris Lubbe on Oct 4.
Take advantage of the programs the District offers. For the second year, we will be offering various programs in our Falcon Parent University. We invite you to a special BTSD Falcon Parent University program to kick off the new year. We are focusing on optimism, hope, and light this year. This speaker’s story will leave you captivated. Burlington Township is very fortunate to have a once in a lifetime opportunity to host a phenomenal, inspirational, motivational speaker who will move you. Chris Lubbe is a highly acclaimed inspirational keynote speaker and life coach. Mr. Lubbe is a UNICEF Ambassador who was born in South Africa. He is the former bodyguard for Nelson Mandela. Mr. Lubbe has been inspired by Oliver Tambo, Desmund Tutu, FW De Klerk and Colin La Foy, and will leave you mesmerized as he tells his story. This event will take place on Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Burlington Township High School’s Performing Arts Center.
