To get involved with the Strike Out Breast Cancer Tournament, visit www.sobcga-com.webs.com
When Chris Tillison’s sister Tracy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, “we did what any family would do,” he said. The Mableton family came together to start fundraising and rally for causes that promoted awareness and research for the disease that had affected their family.
Having a son who plays baseball and a family that equally loves the sport, the Tillisons decided to use baseball and raise money for a good cause. In 2010, they launched the Strike Out Breast Cancer Baseball Tournament.
This year’s tournament, for all-star and travel teams, will be held Friday through Sunday in Douglasville at Boundry Waters Park. The tournament will benefit the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer hosted by It’s The Journey Inc.
The walk started in 2002 and receives over 1,000 walkers every year to raise money and awareness for breast cancer programs in Georgia. According to the organization, one out of eight women will be diagnosed in their lifetime.
“The money raised at the walks help fund programs that serve over 60 counties in Georgia,” said Kim Goff, executive director. “These programs provide mammograms, clinical breast exams, genetic counseling and testing, biopsies, support services, education, and much more. Many of our grants have a specific focus on underserved individuals in our community, uninsured and underinsured women for whom these types of breast health measures are often not available.”
Since the walk was started, the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer has funded 210 grants totaling $10 million to support breast health programs throughout Georgia.
“We are so proud to be an organization that allows passionate individuals like the Tillisons an opportunity to fight against breast cancer in a way that feeds right back into their communities,” added Goff.
Last year over 50 teams participated in the Strike Out Breast Cancer Tournament and contributed $18,000 to the two-day walk. The tournaments have raised over $35,000 for Susan G. Komen Foundation and since last year, the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer.
Tillison hopes to raise more money for this year’s event in October by encouraging the community to get involved. The tournament is still accepting more teams, but for those not playing, Tillison suggests coming out to watch, volunteering or donating to the cause.
In other news: Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded nearly $70,000 to Atlanta-area schools, nonprofits and literacy organizations to support adult, family and summer literacy programs. The money was awarded to Center for Pan Asian Community Services, LaAmistad, Literacy Action, Forsyth County Certified Literate Community Program, Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta, Sojourner Truth Observational Study Hometel, Asian American Resource Center, Southern Crescent Technical College Foundation and CobbWorks. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $92 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 5 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.
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