BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois Coaches Association and the Shriners of Illinois will host the 50th annual Illinois High School Shrine Game on Saturday, June 15 at Tucci Stadium on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Kick-off for the 50th annual game is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Area players scheduled to appear include Brennan Blaine of Amboy and Seth Adams of LaSalle-Peru, both members of the Red Team.

The pregame festivities will begin at the stadium starting at 10 a.m. Ninety-two of the state’s best football players participate in this all-star game to raise money for Shriners Hospital for Children, the official philanthropy of Shriners International. More information about scheduled events, along with rosters for both the Red and Blue teams, can be found at IL HS Shrine Game. Admission for the game is $10 and can be purchased at the gate.

Each year at the Shrine Game, two patients from the Shiners Hospital for Children are chosen to be the prince and princess. The princess is Lexi Fenton from Carlinville who is a patient at the Shriners Hospital in St. Louis. The prince is Caleb Majana from Skokie who is a patient at the Shriners Hospital in Chicago. The prince and princess are honorary representatives from each hospital that will benefit from the money raised through the game. Last year’s event raised nearly $17,000 that went directly to providing outstanding medical care for children at the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The goal is to create a fun and exciting environment for the players, families, Shrine kids, and Shriners and to make this a signature event for the Shriners of Illinois.  The featured banquet speaker will be John Elder. Elder was an original member of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association who help plan and start this event in 1975.

About Shriners Hospitals for Children®

Shriners Hospitals for Children® is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay. Visit the Shriners Hospitals website at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

The estimated direct economic impact of hosting the Illinois High School Shrine Game in Bloomington-Normal is $84,310. 

For more information, please contact Eric Tjarks with the Illinois High School Shrine Game (217-781-2400) or Zach Dietmeier at the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (309-665-0033).