Jan. 21, 2010
Heat Sheets | Schedule and Competing Teams
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: January 21, 2010 - Over 1,000 athletes will be in attendance, while more than 40 high schools from the region will be represented at the Kevin Dare High School Invitational, set for Saturday at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. The competition is held in memory of Penn State and State College High School athlete Kevin Dare, who was tragically killed in a pole vaulting accident at the 2002 Big Ten Indoor Championships. The meet will feature teams from local area and surrounding states, with schools from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and Virginia slated to compete.
About Kevin Dare ...
On February 23, 2002, Kevin, a sophomore at the Pennsylvania State University, was competing in the Big Ten men's indoor track and field championships in the University of Minnesota Field House. Just before his vault, Kevin turned to his father and spoke, "This is my day, Dad." These were the last words Kevin spoke before he lost his life upon impact with the metal vaulting box doing what he loved most. An accomplished pole-vaulter, Kevin Dare loved to soar like an eagle. He made this difficult sport look easy. He had no fear, and was a confident competitor because thousands of times before, he had sprinted down the path, put his fiberglass pole into the metal box, bent the pole, flung himself up high off the ground to clear a yellow bar, and then fell back to Earth onto the landing pit. Kevin's determination, along with his courage, strength, and speed made him a champion and someone to be admired. In celebration of Kevin's life and accomplishments, the family and friends he left on earth have begun the tradition of the annual Kevin Dare Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Kevin Dare Memorial Foundation. Since the benefit began in 2002, the Foundation has raised the funds to fully endow a scholarship in Kevin's honor, and continues to actively promote safety in the sport of pole vaulting.
About the Kevin Dare Memorial Foundation ...
Six years ago, the Kevin Dare Memorial Foundation introduced the world's first pole vault specific helmet, aptly named "KD Max". This unique helmet was created, designed and funded by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin's father Ed Dare and the Kevin Dare Memorial Foundation. We are very proud to announce that on May 9, 2006, mainly because of our initiatives, the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM International) announced and approved the world's first pole vault helmet standard for pole vaulting head gear manufacturers. We have been working for six years to get this standard approved! With this new standard, manufacturers and suppliers must meet a rigid safety standard both in manufacturing and in marketing to label their helmet as "pole vault head gear". This is the first standard of its kind related to the sport of pole vaulting. This along with numerous coaching changes, rule changes, padding standards, and overall safety awareness has helped save lives. Most recently, the Kevin Dare Foundation furthered its efforts in upgrading safety standards, creating the new "KD Pro Extreme" pole vaulting helmet through a partnership with Simpson Performance Products and Penn State Athletics. There is still more work to do.
For more information, visit www.KevinDare.com.