They do several different things that you probably will not see at any other tournament. They pass out free bubble gum to every girl (coaches permission) before every game. They have an MVP that the coach and your team will chose a girl from the other team after each game and exchange the MVP Trading Pin with a girl on the other team who showed sportsmanship or made a fantastic play. A college scholarship check is given to one girl in each age group, based on the votes from the coaches from the other team after each game. At the end of pool play these are tallied up and a check is present to the winning girls on Sunday morning.
New in 2008 The tournament has been renamed ASA Charity Softball Tournament. It is expected to field 80 teams in Moline, Illinois. 100% of the profit will benefit Shriner's Children's Hospital in Chicago. Everything else about the tournament will remain the same. Mr. Hocker's dream of helping the Shriner's Children's Hospital in Chicago will go on.
The new contribution bucket starts now. The purpose of the tournament is to raise money to help kids who physically can not walk and run like we can. Every penny counts. Thank you to everyone who contributed, bought hot dogs at games, and to the girls who cleaned their rooms and brought the change they found in their rooms and dropped it all into the jar during the 2007 season. We donated over $250. With two teams this year, our goal is to double the amount we raise for the hospital.
The story of Shriners Hospitals... Shriners Hospitals for Children NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WALK ALONE This is the philosophy of Shriners Hospitals for children, a 22 hospital pediatric health care system which provides excellent, no-cost medical care to children with orthopaedic problems or burn injuries. Since 1922, Shriners Hospitals have been helping children, free of charge. There is never a charge for any of the care or services provided by Shriners Hospitals. No insurance monies or US government funds (federal, state or local) are used for any medical care or services provided by Shriners Hospitals. Shriners Hospitals are substantially funded through the Shriners Hospitals for Children endowment fund, which is maintained through gifts, bequests and contributions. Additional income for Shriners Hospitals is provided by an annual hospital assesment paid by every Shriner, as well as designated charitable fund-raising events administered by the Shrines.