The Kansas Shrine Bowl on Friday announced Hays High School head coach Tony Crough will lead the West team in the Shrine Bowl in July 2023.
Crough was an assistant for the West team in 2022. The East head coach will be Clint Rider, head coach of Blue Valley Northwest.
The Shrine Bowl also announced Friday Mammoth, a design-build sports construction partner will be the game’s first-ever presenting sponsor for its 50th game on July 15 at Lewis Field at Fort Hays State University.
As title sponsor, the event will officially be called the 50th Kansas Shrine Bowl Presented by Mammoth.
The Shrine Bowl and Mammoth unveiled the 50th Game badge at the at the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau Friday.
"We're thrilled to be celebrating this incredible milestone in Hays. I'm confident Fort Hays State and the community of Hays will be a gracious and supportive host for our 50th event,” said Shrine Bowl Executive Director B.J. Harris.
"We look forward to celebrating with our alumni, Shriners, and anyone who has helped build the Kansas Shrine Bowl into a premiere fundraising event. We're equally excited to see how the momentum from our 2023 game can propel us into the next 50 years."
Since its first event in 1974, the Kansas Shrine Bowl raised more than $3 million for Shriners Children’s. The event is known nationwide as one of the largest Shrine Bowls, with opportunities for high school all-star football players, cheerleaders, and band members. The Shrine Bowl weekend is full of celebratory festivities, including a banquet, golf tournament and clinics.
“We are honored to get behind the mission of the Shrine Bowl, the patients Shriners support, and all the participants and families,” Mammoth CEO Jake Farrant said. “This is a 50-year tradition that keeps getting better. We can’t wait for the game!”
Anyone who is part of the Shrine Bowl’s history as a player, cheerleader, band, ambassador or any kind of involvement is invited to the 50th event.
The timing of Friday’s title sponsorship announcement coincided with the broadcast of Shriners 100th anniversary special airing on ABC affiliates around the country titled “Miracles Magic & Milestones.” A 30-minute TV special hosted by Kristen Bell, the program features patient stories, surprise guests, and a celebration of 100 years of Shriners being the premiere health care organization for children.
Shriners Children's St. Louis is the closest Shriners hospital to Kansas, and one of the destinations for funds raised by the Kansas Shrine Bowl.
“The Kansas Shrine Bowl has been a strong partner of Shriners Children’s St. Louis for five decades. Our team is exceedingly thankful for the support it has offered and the funding it has provided. To witness children helping other children touches our hearts. We will forever cheer on the future (and past) football players, cheerleaders, musicians and performers of the Kansas Shrine Bowl,” said Mark Venable, Shriners Children’s St. Louis administrator.
Sponsorship opportunities for the 50th anniversary game in July are still available. Contact B.J. Harris at 913-602-8656.
"The Kansas Shrine Bowl is humbled by our partnership with Mammoth,” Harris said. “To have the support of such a fast-growing and well-run Kansas company is huge for us, and I can't wait to see how that relationship continues to impact our event and the patients we support."
The Kansas Shrine Bowl is an all-star high school senior, East vs. West, football game put on each year in Kansas, by the Kansas Shrine. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children, now know as Shriners Children’s. The Kansas Shrine Bowl has sent over $3 million to Shriners Children’s.
The game has been played throughout Kansas each summer since 1974. Host cities have included Lawrence, Manhattan, Wichita, Topeka, Hays, Emporia, Pittsburg, Dodge City and Hutchinson. The West football team camp will be held at Bethany College in Lindsborg, and the East will be at Ottawa University in Ottawa. The East Camp directors are Jack Call and Tim Williams. The West Camp directors are Richard Steele and Greg King.
Beginning in 1974, the flagship event has been the East/West All-Star Football Game. As of 2021, the West leads the series with 30 wins, the East has 17 wins, and there has been one tie. Current NFL alumni include Cody Whitehair (Chicago Bears), B.J. Finney (Pittsburg Steelers), and Deante Burton (Dallas Cowboys). Additional notable alumni include former All-Pro Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson, former All-Pro NFL Defensive Back Terrance Newman, NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, former Kansas State and Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Gary Spani, former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl Champion Linebacker Mark Simoneau and many others.
The Kansas Shrine Bowl also includes the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp, Kansas Shrine Bowl Cheer Camp, Bbanquet, parade, golf tournament and more.
All Shrine Bowl events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. It 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 the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.