TORCH’s “Kickin It for Homes” kickball fundraiser is an opportunity for the community to relive the fun of a favorite childhood sports. At the same time, every game played is a “hand-up” for the homeless, a press release said.
Participants are needed to play in the tournament, which is set for June 28 at Carl Yearwood Park located on Laboratory Road in Oak Ridge. The event will start at 9 a.m., and end when a winner emerges. The cost per eight-person team is $160. There is no cost to come out and cheer on the teams.
Teams can register by printing out a form from the website www.oakridgetorch.org and send or drop the form at the office. There is a box at the door if the office is closed. Teams can also register and pay directly online.
Trinity Outreach Center of Hope (TORCH) is located at 320 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge. Families, church groups, work mates, and friends are encouraged to join in the fun, the press release said.
Teams can be intergenerational, all children, or all males or females. The games will be five innings each or 30 minutes, whichever comes first. Each team will be guaranteed two games. There will be a winner’s bracket and a loser’s bracket. The winning team members from each bracket will be presented with a TORCH T-shirt.
The rules of kickball are very similar to that of baseball. However, instead of hitting a baseball, a kickball player kicks a rubber ball. The goal is to score runs/points by running around and touching all four bases in order without getting tagged.
In the middle of the day, there will be a Home Run Derby. Each participant will get two chances to kick a home run, which simply means running all the bases to home plate without being tagged. Participants are encouraged to obtain pledges for running each base. Forms are available online as well.
Concessions during the event will include hotdogs, chips, soft drinks, water, and other snacks available for sale as well as TORCH T-shirts for $10 each. All proceeds will benefit the organization.
The goal of TORCH is assist individuals and families who are homeless, those who are in jeopardy of becoming homeless, and those who are not able to receive services elsewhere because they do not have a phone, an address—or other limiting factors. The nonprofit organization helps clients connect with resources available and overcome barriers in accessing these resources. Once emergency needs are met, clients are then assisted in creating a clear path to self-sufficiency.
“The need we see every day in our community is quite frankly shocking to us,” said TORCH Board Chair and Founder Sheila Michel. ”We really hope people will support the work we do by coming out and having fun. The community has been incredibly supportive of TORCH. We feel very fortunate to be working in Oak Ridge and Anderson County. Let’s all enjoy the summer sun, play some kickball, and in the process raise some money to help those who are struggling to make ends meet.”
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