The all-female Turkey Breast Kickball Tournament raised $460 to rescue turkeys on Sunday, Nov. 27, according to a recent email from event organizer Jennifer Corday.
This was the 12th annual tournament, although technically it was only the second annual kickball game.
As Corday herself reported in last week’s Sun, in 2021 game organizers decided to switch from an annual football game to an annual kickball game.
During the game, a bucket was passed around to collect cash. During Sunday’s game, announcer Kimba Mayes said they had raised $160 passing around a bucket to fans—and then she announced that Umpire Chad Berlinghieri had offered $40 more. However, in her Tuesday, Nov. 29 email, Corday wrote that they raised $202 at the game, “but we had previously accepted donations through the web site for the month of November and additional money was raised there, so total amount donated was: $460.”
Fans could also donate electronically to Farm Sanctuary for each bird represented by each of the four participating teams. QR codes were posted next to pictures of the birds on the fence surrounding Zoeter Field.
The rescued turkey birds were Sandy (Dirtbag Divas), Gladriel (Homerun Homos), George (Ballpark Babes), and Elsa (Kicking Queens). The rescue protecting them: Farm Sanctuary.
In addition to a little fundraising, the players treated the fans sitting on the stands (and on chairs on the grass of Zoeter Field) to three kickball games.
“Everyone just has a great time—I think kickball reminds us of our youth, and is a chance to feel like a kid again,” Corday wrote.
“Even though it is competitive, it’s more about the joy of truly just playing and being with friends,” Corday wrote.
“Our umpires (Tim Wharton and Chad Berlinghieri) and our announcer (Kimba Mayes) made the game even more entertaining,” Corday wrote.
Team members were selected randomly so no team would have a special advantage. The rules of the game limited the score per inning to seven runs. The games were limited to 45 minutes each. (Ties might have extended the games—but none of the three games tied.)
The first of three games was between the Homerun Homos and the Kicking Queens.
The game wasn’t exactly a nail-biter. By the top of the fourth inning, the score was 11-0 and the Kicking Queens were in second place.
The final score: 16-2, in favor of Homerun Homos.
The next game was between the Dirtbag Divas and the Ballpark Babes. It didn’t take long for the two teams to tie at 1-1.
By the bottom of the fourth inning, the Dirtbag Divas were ahead 3-2. By the top of the fifth, the game was tied 3-3.
The tie held with 10 minutes left in the game.
The Divas achieved one more run, bringing them a victory of 3-4.
And then it was time for the final game, a showdown to claim the prizes: a free round of drinks after the game and the perpetual trophy.
There was a fleeting moment of confusion over the score during the fourth inning, but following a brief discussion between the announcer and Referee Berlinghieri, the score was announced: 4-1, with the Dirtbag Divas trailing.
They almost turned it around as by the bottom of the 4th the score quickly changed to 4-3.
The game continued, but the HHs kept up the momentum.
By the time the championships kickball game was over, the score was 6-4 in favor of the HHs.
Players, fans, and the winning teams posed for post-game photos with the winning trophy.
“It’s getting bigger every year and this year was the first year we had official T-Shirts and raised money for the turkeys,” Corday wrote.
“We had lots of interest to play and even had a waiting list of players that didn’t get in. Next year, I anticipate an even bigger turn-out. If only we had more fields,” Corday wrote.
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