PoleVaultPower.com

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/20 ... rts-07.asp

Dare benefit one fitting tribute to fallen athlete


By Tim Ford
Collegian Staff Writer
The vibrant atmosphere of the Crowbar on Monday night exceeded that of a typical State College bar.

Turnout and spirits were high for the second annual benefit concert for the Kevin Dare Memorial Scholarship Fund; an event that last year raised almost $5,000.

Dare, a pole-vaulter for the Penn State Men's Track and Field team, died in a tragic accident while vaulting in the February 2002 Big Ten Indoor Championships at the University of Minnesota.

Shortly after the accident, the Dare family established the scholarship fund in Kevin's name.

Kevin's father Ed Dare summed up the energy of the benefit when he said he expected nothing less than the warm support his family has received from the community.

"Penn State has been incredible," Mr. Dare said. "[Athletic Director] Tim Curley has been by my side ever since the accident; all the support has been incredible."

For the past year and a half, Mr. Dare and Penn State have led the charge of improving safety in Big Ten Track and Field competition.

Dare and Curley have advocated the adoption of wearing helmets during practice and meets for vaulters, in addition to developing a 'softbox' for the vault-box collar.

For those unfamiliar with the technical terms of pole vaulting, when a vaulter sprints down the runway he plants the vault pole into a steel and concrete box known as the vault-box collar.

In conjunction with Skydex Technologies, the Dare Family and Penn State have been able to develop a safer vault-box collar they have come to refer to as the 'softbox.'

Instead of using dangerous products such as concrete and steel, the 'softbox' uses technology originally intended for aerospace design.

In addition to the 'softbox', the Dare Family and Penn State have also been working towards the development of a helmet designed specifically for pole vaulting.

"Basically, the kids now are using modified skateboarding helmets," Mr. Dare said. "Right now, Penn State's Biomechanical Research Department is working with the Aventys skateboarding company to develop a helmet just for pole vaulters."

Mr. Dare was optimistic that the helmets would be ready to be implemented into Big Ten competitions by winter break.

The Penn State Men's and Women's Track and Field team have already begun using the new safer equipment.

"I've used the new equipment, and I think the change is definitely good for the sport," said senior vaulter David Bollinger.

All the efforts of Curley and Dare will be discussed in a meeting with the NCAA this Friday as they will to talk about using the new, safer technologies as soon as possible.

The night's events were particularly poignant to Dana Gioia, who knew Kevin Dare personally from State College High School.

"Kevin was the most driven person I ever knew," he said. "This shows how much people loved him."

Kevin's father Ed Dare shares that same drive in his efforts for ensuring the future safety of pole vaulters in hopes that the tragic accident that befell his son will never happen again.

We miss you kev

PA Vaulters 4 life

http://www.gopsusports.com/pressrelease ... 67&spID=18

Second Annual Kevin Dare Memorial Scholarship Fund Benefit raises nearly $9,000

State College, Pa., Nov. 14, 2003 - Organizers of the Kevin Dare Memorial Scholarship Fund have announced that the second annual Dare Fund Benefit, held at the Crowbar in downtown State College Sept. 29, raised nearly $9,000 for the scholarship fund.

The all-age show, which featured the bands Emily's Toybox, Poptart Monkeys, Backstreet Law, Juiced, and 4Saken and was sponsored by QWK Rock (97.1 FM), the Crowbar and Colonial Press, brought in $8,939 in donations according to organizers. The total more than doubled the funds raised in the event's first year. The benefit has now raised over $13,000 in two years.

"Penn State has been incredible," Kevin's father, Ed Dare, said, "(Athletic Director) Tim Curley has been by my side ever since the accident; all the support has been incredible."

The Kevin Dare Memorial Scholarship Fund has raised nearly $70,000 total to date. Dare, a Penn State student-athlete, died while competing in the pole vault at the 2002 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships.

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centreda ... 261374.htm

Dare Scholarship Benefit

The Kevin Dare Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Kevin Dare Memorial Foundation will be holding several fund-raising events in the next few months.

Dare, a State College and Penn State athlete, died while pole vaulting in the 2002 Big Ten Indoor Championships. Since then his father, Ed, has spearheaded a drive to develop new equipment and institute rules changes to make the event safer.

Last year, the Kevin Dare Memorial Benefit raised more than $37,000 which went to either a scholarship for a Penn State track athlete or to the Foundation to prompt the rules changes and improved equipment.

This year Vault for Life wristbands, similar to the yellow "LiveStrong" bracelets that benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation, will be sold at five Penn State home football games, beginning with the season opener on Sept. 3 with South Florida. The cost is $2 with all proceeds going to the Foundation or the Scholarship fund.

There is also a benefit concert scheduled for the Crowbar in October.

Does anyone know if the Vault for Life wristbands will be available by any other means (perhaps online or something like that) for those of us who are interested & will not be in the PA area?

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/20 ... ews-02.asp

Concert to benefit Dare Memorial Fund

By Ann Nallo
Collegian Staff Writer
Good can often be born from tragedy, such as with tonight's benefit concert at the Crowbar.

For the fourth consecutive year, Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., will host the Kevin Dare benefit concert, founded for the Penn State pole vaulter who died in 2002 after suffering a head injury while vaulting.

Kevin Dare came to Penn State on a track scholarship and excelled in pole vaulting for both indoor and outdoor track.

In February of his sophomore year, while attempting a vault at the University of Minnesota Big Ten Indoor Championship, Dare fell mid-vault and hit his head on the metal planting box. He was rushed to a Minnesota hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after.

If you go
What: Kevin Dare benefit concert
Time: Doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 8:15 p.m.
Date: tonight
Place: Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave.
Details: Admission is $7 at the door or $5 with "Vault Safe" wristband

When she heard the news, Michelle Grove said she felt compelled to act.

"It hit me hard," said Grove, the benefit's coordinator. "I worked in the same building as Ed [Kevin's father] at
the time. I couldn't imagine going through something like that, so I approached him with the idea of a benefit concert."

In October of 2002, six months after the tragedy, Crowbar hosted the first benefit concert and raised $4,000. This money allowed the Dares to create the Kevin Dare Pole Vaulting Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is now awarded yearly to a Penn State student track athlete.

By last year's concert, that $4,000 had grown to $37,000, which was split between the scholarship and the newly formed Kevin Dare Foundation.

The foundation allows the Dares to help pole-vaulters outside of Penn State by giving schools money for safety equipment like helmets, soft-boxes and box-collars.

Raffle tickets and "Vault Safe" wristbands have also been sold to raise money for the scholarship and foundation. Wristbands will be available at the show tonight and on the Web site, www.kevindare.com.

Six bands will play at the benefit concert tonight. Band members are volunteering their time. All of the bands also play a dedication song to Kevin's family and friends.

"The family is so nice and it is great to do this for them in memory of their son," guitarist Matt Day, of the band In, said. "We are so glad we can be a part of it."

Members of other bands scheduled to play tonight said they are also glad to help out the cause.

"It's gonna be a great event," said James Balogach, bassist for the Poptart Monkeys, who will play at 10 tonight. "It's just one of those situations where you know everyone is giving their time and it's also respect for the event. Plus, you get to hear some great tunes."

The lineup begins at 8:15 p.m. with Penn State lacrosse player Mike Jacober and his band and ends the night with Atlantic Records recording artist Halestorm.

"We have some incredible bands
this year," Ed Dare said. "Mike Jacober's band is outstanding and we have a national band this year for the first time. We're pretty proud of those two things."

Eric Dare described his brother as "a very hard-working, really determined person."

"He had more integrity than any other person I met in my life," Eric Dare said.

Ed Dare had similar feelings about Kevin.

"He was a very unique person," he said. "Friendship was everything to him. Not only was he my son but my best friend as well."

Kevin's immediate family and his grandparents will be at the event tonight. They said their goal for tonight is to raise $50,000.

"We're hoping to get a good turnout from the student athletes and students in general," Ed Dare said. "This event has a very special meaning for us."

I have directed my cousin to this site. He is selling the wristbands, so keep lookin.