Softball tournament raises funds for families in need

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samuel Anderson
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUTNAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  At 4 p.m. on July 30, the 366th Fighter Wing first sergeants and squadron commanders kicked off a tournament that would not end for more than forty-eight hours.

This year's tournament featured 24 teams from around the community. Out of those teams, 20 were from around the base. One team even had players that travelled all the way from Colorado just to play in the tournament.

The Operation Warmheart softball tournament has been going on for nearly twenty years with teams from around the community.

"I have not been able to nail down an exact date because I'm being told it has gone back for more than twenty years now," said Master Sgt. Jacob Huston, Communications Squadron First Sergeant. "It was started to build camaraderie between squadrons within the base and then it branched out to the community."

Throughout the years the tournament has managed to keep going all thanks to the great work of the First Sergeants and their squadrons.

"It is a non-profit organization run by the first sergeants," he said. "Pretty much what we do is any money that we raise benefits the families of all the enlisted members on base and also the Guard and Reserve have benefitted from this as well."

This year Sergeant Huston volunteered to run the planning so that he could be part of something that can help Airmen and their families in hard times.

"I personally volunteered because it is one of the largest events that Operation Warmheart puts on each year so it generates a lot of money," he said. "I just wanted to be a major part of it to where I can say I helped to greatly contribute to the Operation Warmheart fund."

The tournament ran around the clock with games every hour. Teams had to be sure to read the tournament bracket in order to see when they would be playing next. Even though games were played in the early morning hours, there was always a great deal of support in the stands.

This tournament was a double-elimination format, meaning that if a team lost a game at any point, besides a championship game, they were placed in the consolation bracket and had a chance to play for third place. However, if a team lost a game in the consolation bracket they were eliminated from the tournament.

Shake and Bake, a team consisting of active duty, reserves and civilians from around the base, won the tournament. They received t-shirts and their Most Valuable Player received a $50 gift card. However, that gift card was donated right back to the Operation Warmheart fund. Overall, the tournament raised more than $5,500 for the fund which was the most the tournament has ever received.

Sergeant Huston thanked everyone for their contributions and hopes next year's tournament will be even more successful than this year.