Several teams playing in the summer baseball/softball session raised money for Braden’s Hope for cancer awareness. The pilot program helps the charity raise awareness, and fund research grants to explore treatments and cures for the disease.
Fifteen teams participated during the program’s inaugural session. Players received donation banks and patches to start the program in May. Torie Phillips’ first grade Gators from Morse Elementary School received a pizza party for 20 as the top team with $592. The total amount contributed by all teams came to $3,606.92.
“We are just amazed by the teams and individual players,” said Deliece Hofen, president of Braden’s Hope. “The response was more than we hoped. Thank you to everyone for caring.”
All team members received donation banks for the donated coins and patches to iron on their uniforms. Players relied on parents, family, friends, and even contributed some of their own allowance.
Participating Teams (Coach): Gators (Torie Phillips); The Knights (Jeff Laughling); The Krusherz (Randy Jones); Pink Thunder (Dwight Mayhugh); Mustangs (Dwight Mayhugh); Lightsabers (Chris Ashner); Stilwell Mustangs (Wade Leacher); BV Gators (Ethan Vaughn); (Erik Hansen); Tigers (Rod Helmick); Blue Jays (Brad Welch); Junior Jaguars (Eric Watts); Eagles (Kathy O’Brien); Morse Royals (Kelly Sardelli); Outlaws (Mark Kaster).