October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, an annual campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer risks, the value of screening and early detection and treatment options. A large group of players and volunteers stepped up to the plate Saturday to raise money for the fight against the disease.
According to the American Cancer Society, because of earlier detection and better treatments, a woman’s chance of dying from breast cancer dropped 38 percent between the late 1980s and 2014, translating into almost 300,000 fewer deaths during that time. But breast cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women, behind lung cancer.
Nineteen teams participated in the annual “Battin’ for Boobies” event at the Carbon County softball complex. The first pitch of the tournament was lobbed at 8:00 a.m., and the last out was called under the lights at 9:30 p.m. The tournament raised approximately $4,000 for the United Way of Eastern Utah’s “Live.Love.Local” cancer program.
UWEU Executive Director Cheryl Thayn said it was an amazing event where an extraordinary number of people came together to raise money for the cause. She emphasized 100 percent of the proceeds from the tournament goes to cancer patients in Carbon and Emery Counties.
Carbon County Recreation Department Director Frank Ori noted that in addition to local teams, the tournament included teams from Utah County, Salt Lake County, and Wasatch County in Utah, and others who traveled from Arizona and Colorado. He said coordinating the games was a joint effort of the Carbon Recreation staff, with help from USU Eastern Sun Center volunteers and Eastern softball players who served as umpires and scorekeepers.
The team sponsored by CNC Fabrication of Heber City won the tournament in the championship bracket, and the Tony’s Tacos team from Salt Lake City took the consolation bracket.
Battin’ for Boobies softball tournament
Battin’ for Boobies participant sets up to knock breast cancer out of the park.