The Story of Fast Eddy

From 1974 to 1978, Fast Eddy played left wing on the KSU Soccer Club. Much as today, the KSU Soccer Club in those days was funded only by team members and donations. Ed worked hard to promote the soccer team as its appointed PR man. He often painted posters to promote games and was instrumental in sponsoring the teams appearances at local events—once helping stage a 24 hour soccer marathon. Ed lined the fields for the team before each game, often with no other resources than a bag of lime and a milk carton as a makeshift spreader.

Just after completing his course work, Ed began work as an examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in the early 1979. He played on a local Kansas City Soccer team that spring and coached little league.
On Friday night, May 18, 1979 he returned from a business trip to Washington D.C. Late that evening, just after getting ready for bed, he suddenly collapsed in the hallway of his parents home. Ed never regained consciousness. Life support was removed Sunday Morning, May 20, 1979 and he died peacefully, just hours after his formal graduation from K-State the prior afternoon.
Despite extensive medical efforts and research, there was never a definitive cause of death established. It appears to have simply been the Lord’s wish.

The K-State Ed Chartrand Memorial originated in the summer of 1979. A KSU soccer player Greg Middleton asked the Chartrand Family if the KSU Soccer Club could name a tournament at KSU in Ed’s honor.

Dennis Cook of Manhattan has been our tournament director since 1980. We all owe Dennis Cook our deep gratitude. A scholarship fund was established in 1987. It is awarded to a qualified, KSU team nominated soccer player for both men and women each year.
In addition to being a living tribute to the spirit and determination of Ed Chartrand and his love for soccer, the tournament has served as a platform to promote college soccer throughout the Midwest. While concentrating on traditional Big 12 teams, the tournament has often included other Midwest area colleges. Our goal for the K-State Ed Chartrand Memorial is to be the standing Soccer Classic of the Big 12 schools.

The Year 2000 marked a proud moment in our history to include a full Women’s Division. 2006 marked the first year of a separate women’s and men’s weekend tournament. “Fast Eddy” would be most proud of the role his tournament has played to showcase women’s soccer.

It is our mission to expand the opportunities for young soccer players to play quality soccer and be afforded scholarships to attend KSU and other major colleges. To that end, we are always looking for opportunities to involve more youth soccer players and their parents in our tournament.

The K-State Soccer Club, officially a student sport club at KSU, receives only nominal funding from the university. The K-State Ed Chartrand Memorial Tournament and its scholarship program is primarily funded by the Chartrand Charitable Foundation and its private donors who have invested well over $450,000 into KSU soccer in the past 40 years.

Your financial contribution is more important than ever. We are about opportunities for youth. Sports is simply our medium. If you can contribute or know of a worthy cause, visit us at www.chartrandfoundation.org
And long may you run!