The Derby and Ansonia high school girls softball teams will try to hit a home run for breast cancer patients Saturday when they play at Ryan Field in Derby.
The Mother’s Day weekend matchup is the 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Benefit Softball Game to raise money for the Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital.
Derby Coach Joe DiMartino said the benefit game started in 2011 when his players and assistant coaches decided to do something after DiMartino’s wife, Lori, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 42.
“They wanted to do something as a group to raise money for breast cancer because of what my wife was going through,” DiMartino said.
Lori went in for surgery at Griffin Hospital and is doing fine, he said.
DiMartino, who is also a Derby Alderman from Ward 2, has coached Derby High girls softball for 23 years.
“We decided to come up with this game,” he said. At the time, his daughter, Jordyn, was one of his players.
He said the response has been terrific. The first benefit game in 2011 raised $1,300, and last year’s game raised over $3,000.
“For a one-day event, I think that’s fantastic,” DiMartino said.
He said credit also goes to Ansonia High Athletic Director Tony Piccolo and the Ansonia High girls softball team for their support of the cause.
Derby High assistant coach Jenn Moffat is serving as the coordinator for the benefit softball game event.
There is no admission charge to this Saturday’s game at 11 a.m. at Ryan Field, located on Chatfield Street, Derby, but attendees will be asked to make a donation.
A rain date has been set for May 18 at the same time.
Proceeds from the sale of food donated by ShopRite and snacks donated by Ed Sheehy, owner of the Adzima Funeral Home, will also benefit the Breast Wellness Center.
The fundraising will also benefit from a raffle. Tickets costing $1 will enter purchasers in a drawing for numerous prizes, including player-autographed sports memorabilia, and store and restaurant gift cards ranging from $25 to $50.
This year there will be a special raffle prize for golfers. DiMartino said his cousin, who works in the golf industry, was able to get the donation of three high-quality golf clubs, a Rocketballz Stage 2 driver, a Ghost Spider S putter and a Rocketballz Stage 2 Fairway 3 wood. Tickets for the special raffle of the three clubs, the set valued at $750, are $10 each.
“I’m hoping we get a lot of golfers out that day to sell a lot of tickets,” DiMartino said.
Derby won the first benefit game in 2011, and Ansonia won last year, so he said this year’s game will be a tie-breaker.
The Ansonia and Derby teams are well matched this season. DiMartino said both are rebuilding their squads with talented underclassmen, and both had 3 – 10 records for the season as of May 2.
“It should be a very good game,” he said.
