After public pushback, LAX tournament called off for Stowe
July 10, 2020 | By Lisa ScagliottiThe Bitter Lacrosse summer tournament planned for Stowe two weekends this month has been called off.
Organizers had hoped to run the events scheduled for July 18-19 and 25-26 at a scaled-back level with games held outside of Stowe. They did not say which venues would have been used. Waterbury officials said they had not received any booking requests for municipal fields for the tournament.
The annual event usually attracts 5,000 or more players and spectators from around New England resulting in a significant influx of traffic and visitors in Waterbury and the surrounding area.
Mounting public comments, concerns and questions over the public health protocols that would be used regarding the COVID-19 pandemic led organizers to cancel the event. They maintained that they believed the tournament could have been held safely.
Bitter Lacrosse President E.W. Bitter told VtDigger.org that the decision came as a result of the organization being on the receiving end of “growing anger, threats and vitriol.” An online petition asking that the event be called off received 924 signatures as of July 10.
Bitter told several news organizations that he will reconsider holding the tournament in Vermont as a result of the response to this year’s event.