Groton — A group of kids from the Groton-Mystic Lacrosse Association will combine their love of the sport with an opportunity to support wounded veterans.

Michael Kornacki, who served for six years in the Connecticut Army National Guard's 192nd Field Artillery Unit, will take a team to Shootout for Soldiers Boston at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell on June 23-24. The event, where teams of all ages, both civilian and veteran, play 24 one-hour lacrosse games, is hosted in several cities and is growing. It benefits wounded veterans.

"These young kids should know what these men and women are sacrificing," said Kornacki, whose wife Kimberly is a sergeant first class in the Army.

While their young son is well aware of what it means to be part of a military family, Kornacki said he and his wife wanted their son to get more involved in the veteran community.

Their son participated in last year's event, which they heard about from Kimberly's good friend, Mike Sullivan, who she served with in Germany. Sullivan is also the chairman for the Boston shootout.

Now Kornacki wants the kids he coaches to have the same experience his son did.

It will be invaluable for them to play lacrosse, a sport many of them are just starting to learn, and at the same time, become more aware of veterans and how they can help them.

While many of them, being from the Groton area, home to the Naval Submarine Base, come from military families "or hear about moms and dads leaving all the time," the shootout event will help further their knowledge, Kornacki said.

His team, the CT Falcons, has raised almost $2,000 for the event so far. Money raised will go to different veterans' charities. He said the community has stepped up, with several businesses supporting the team. Kornacki said he hopes the kids take what they learn and bring it back to Groton.

"It's going to have a major impact on them," he said.

j.bergman@theday.com