VENUE:
Wayne State University’s Matthaei Complex (Main Gym)

ABOUT HOST ORGANIZATION:
En Garde Detroit is the first social entrepreneurial company in the USA dedicated to the sport of fencing.  Focusing on athletic recreation, competition, community outreach, youth development and mentoring. By establishing common partnerships with community groups, recreation centers, and educational facilities; En Garde Detroit!

Approximately 100 inner city high school graduates received federal scholarships to attend college for free! In exchange, the students are required to attend college prep classes in the summer. This year, these students will also be required to learn the sport of Fencing. We will be having a fencing tournament to celebrate their upcoming first year of college. We are inviting Celebrity Directors who will interact & inspire these future Michigan leaders.

By collaborating with community leaders, positive political figures, and champions of youth development. En Garde Detroit will foster an environment for community outreach, future collaborations and positive youth interactions.

ABOUT EVENT:
The Ballestra 350 will allow the community to show its support of these first time college students as they demonstrate their newly learned fencing skills. As an added bonus the students will have a chance to interact with community leaders acting as celebrity directors, while competing for prizes to help them in the upcoming school year.

The tournament will simulate a United States Fencing Association competition, and will allow students to compete amongst their classmates. Six (6) prizes will be awarded to finalist of the competition, and these prizes will be educationally relevant: Laptops, gift cards, jump drives, etc. Along with gift bags and certificates for all students who participate.

In this competition we will have celebrity directors helping to officiate. Directors are to fencing as referees are to basketball. Each celebrity directors will be accompanied by a professional fencing assistant to help with directing the matches.
The keynote speaker, State Representative Fred Durhal, Jr., will be speaking about the importance of college education and his Free Education Act which makes college education free for anyone who graduates from a Michigan public high school.