Friday, August 23, 2019
Dear 2019 FAST Participants, Coaches, Parents, Referees, Sponsors and Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that Fairfield United Soccer Association announces the cancellation of our 11th Annual FAST Tournament.
Despite having overwhelming support from both State & Town officials, past & present parent volunteers, local soccer teams, and corporate sponsors, we have run into an insurmountable situation outside our control.
The Town of Fairfield and Fairfield Board of Education have made the decision to close all athletic fields in Fairfield for mandatory environmental testing. Unfortunately, many of these fields will most likely remain closed until after Labor Day.
While an ongoing matter in Fairfield for the past 2 weeks, FUSA was informed of the closure of all athletic fields on Wednesday afternoon. Since then, our parent volunteers have spent every waking hour exploring viable solutions and exhausting every available option in an effort to save the tournament. Unfortunately, the timing of the field closures does not allow us to secure alternate fields while getting the necessary approvals, insurance, field prep, scheduling, and volunteers to run our event.
This is not a decision we have taken lightly. For over a decade, FAST has become a wonderful community event and a fixture on the regional soccer calendar, attracting over 125 teams, 25+ local sponsors, food trucks, and a national merchandise vendor each year. As a non-profit organization, FUSA relies on FAST as its primary fundraiser.
The cancellation of FAST represents a huge financial loss for the Club, a potential loss of revenue for the businesses of the Town of Fairfield, and more importantly, the loss of a great weekend of sports and fun for our young athletes. At the end of the day, the safety of our community and children, and the many guests we host from the surrounding region is of utmost importance. While we know this is not what any of us want, it is unfortunately the only decision we can make at this time.
Given the time constraints between now and Labor Day, we felt this was the only realistic solution. By making this decision now, we might afford our participants and partners the opportunity to try and find viable alternatives for your Labor Day weekend plans.
We appreciate all of your support and understanding, as this is a matter outside of our control. We are hopeful that fields are cleared so that play can resume in time for the regular season. To our guests that have registered teams for FAST 2019, we will be refunding 100% of your registration fee. We also hope you will consider FAST again and join us for FAST 2020.
Best of luck to each of you in the upcoming season,
Fairfield United Board of Directors
Fairfield FAST Director
Fairfield FAST Tournament Committee
Dear 2019 FAST Participants, Coaches, Parents, Referees, Sponsors and Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that Fairfield United Soccer Association announces the cancellation of our 11th Annual FAST Tournament.
Despite having overwhelming support from both State & Town officials, past & present parent volunteers, local soccer teams, and corporate sponsors, we have run into an insurmountable situation outside our control.
The Town of Fairfield and Fairfield Board of Education have made the decision to close all athletic fields in Fairfield for mandatory environmental testing. Unfortunately, many of these fields will most likely remain closed until after Labor Day.
While an ongoing matter in Fairfield for the past 2 weeks, FUSA was informed of the closure of all athletic fields on Wednesday afternoon. Since then, our parent volunteers have spent every waking hour exploring viable solutions and exhausting every available option in an effort to save the tournament. Unfortunately, the timing of the field closures does not allow us to secure alternate fields while getting the necessary approvals, insurance, field prep, scheduling, and volunteers to run our event.
This is not a decision we have taken lightly. For over a decade, FAST has become a wonderful community event and a fixture on the regional soccer calendar, attracting over 125 teams, 25+ local sponsors, food trucks, and a national merchandise vendor each year. As a non-profit organization, FUSA relies on FAST as its primary fundraiser.
The cancellation of FAST represents a huge financial loss for the Club, a potential loss of revenue for the businesses of the Town of Fairfield, and more importantly, the loss of a great weekend of sports and fun for our young athletes. At the end of the day, the safety of our community and children, and the many guests we host from the surrounding region is of utmost importance. While we know this is not what any of us want, it is unfortunately the only decision we can make at this time.
Given the time constraints between now and Labor Day, we felt this was the only realistic solution. By making this decision now, we might afford our participants and partners the opportunity to try and find viable alternatives for your Labor Day weekend plans.
We appreciate all of your support and understanding, as this is a matter outside of our control. We are hopeful that fields are cleared so that play can resume in time for the regular season. To our guests that have registered teams for FAST 2019, we will be refunding 100% of your registration fee. We also hope you will consider FAST again and join us for FAST 2020.
Best of luck to each of you in the upcoming season,
Fairfield United Board of Directors
Fairfield FAST Director
Fairfield FAST Tournament Committee