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Maine Residents Create Benefit Softball Tournament to Raise Money for Families of the Lewiston, Maine Shooting Victims
Lewiston – The Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament Board is proud to announce the first annual Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament on November 11, 2023. Hammond Lumber Company joins as the Presenting Sponsor for the tournament and has generously donated Lewiston Strong apparel that will be available for purchase at each field. Proceeds of the event will go toward all families who lost loved ones in the devastating mass shooting that took place in Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. A 50/50 raffle will also be held in support of those injured.
Two of the victims, Joe Walker and Ron Morin, were staples within the Lewiston/Auburn softball community. Ron was an umpire with the Maine Amateur Softball Association and Joe was a loved teammate to many. “Our Board is made up of members of our local softball community,” said Tony Gowell, USA Softball of Maine State Commissioner. “We are a tight- knit group. Joe and Ron were family. This is our way of remembering the amazing men we knew while honoring the many lives lost.”
The coed tournament will feature 25 teams spread out between Randall Road Ball Fields (Lewiston), and Pettingill Park Baseball Fields (Auburn). It will include food trucks, raffles, silent auctions, 50/50, apparel available for purchase and mascot appearances from the Maine Celtics and Portland Sea Dogs. The games will begin at 7:30 a.m. with closing ceremonies taking place at Pettingill Park (lower fields) at 8:30 p.m. Tournament rules, team bracket information and live viewing can be found on the The Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament website.
Board member Derek Haskell described how amazing it has been to watch the city of Lewiston come together in the wake of an unexpected and horrific event. “Our community faced an unthinkable tragedy,” Haskell said. “It’s a hard thing to wrap your head around. Yet, we have seen an outpouring of support from people near and far. That’s the magic of Lewiston. Despite all of the hurt, people are raising their hands and asking what they can do. It’s been a week since we decided to create this tournament and it has grown exponentially. We have a waitlist for teams, daily emails and calls about volunteer efforts and an outpouring of donations for raffle and silent auction items.”
Food trucks onsite will include Benchwarmerz (Pettingill Park), The Pit Crew Catering (Pettingill Park), L/A Taco (Randall Road), Pinky D’s (Randall Road) and Tripp’s Farmhouse Cafe (Randall Road). The raffle and silent auction will be a three-day event taking place at the Auburn Senior Community Center (located in the Pettingill Park plaza) on Friday (online only), Saturday (8 a.m. – 7 p.m.) and Sunday from (8 a.m.-3 p.m.). Items available will include signed sports memorabilia, experiences, membership packages, numerous products and services and more.
The public and press are encouraged to attend to support and cheer teams on. Additional event details and updates can be found on the Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament website or social media pages (Instagram: @LewistonStrongSoftball and Facebook: Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament).
In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Sunday, November 12.
For all media inquiries (including those that wish to be onsite day of), please contact:
For interest in donating items for the raffle/silent auction, please contact:
For general event questions and ways to get involved, please contact:
About The Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament This event was created in light of the tragic events that took place in Lewiston, ME on October 25th, 2023. Our mission is to highlight the strong sense of community that exists within the Lewiston/Auburn area, while also creating a space to honor the lives lost and raise funds for the victims’ families. In partnership with the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Foundation, all proceeds from the event will go toward supporting these families. This fundraiser will be hosted annually in memory of the friends, family and community members lost that day, as well as remind us that we are and will always be #LewistonStrong.
About Hammond Lumber Company Hammond Lumber Company was founded in 1953 by Skip and Verna Hammond with a single sawmill in Belgrade, Maine. Today, the fourth-generation, family-owned company is one of the largest independent lumber and building material retailers in the northeast with over 900 employees and 22 locations across Maine and New Hampshire. Hammond Lumber Company carries a full line of building materials, millwork, kitchen, bath and flooring products, and is a quality manufacturer of eastern white pine. Hammond has multiple Kitchen, Bath & Flooring Design Centers and showrooms, Home Planning Design Centers, and millwork showrooms across the State. Hammond is the 17th largest pro dealer and lumberyard in the nation by 2022 sales according to the LBM Journal 100. The building material supply company has received numerous awards, including 2020 ProSales Dealer of the Year, Best Places to Work in Maine in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Best Company to Work For in New Hampshire in 2023, National Safety Council’s 2023 Occupational Excellence Achievement Award and 2023 Industry Leader Award, and NeLMA’s 2023 Outstanding Safety Performance Award. Learn more at www.hammondlumber.com.
