By Greg Higgins

N.B. softball tournament aims to help the impoverished in other countries

Aug 5, 2016 | 2:18 PM

A slo-pitch tournament will run for 24 straight hours to help the less fortunate in a developing country.

John Paul II Collegiate will hold a fundraiser at Beaver Lions Stadium in North Battleford tonight, Friday, Aug. 5 straight through to Saturday, Aug. 6. Funds will go towards sending students to Ecuador to build schools and help the less fortunate.

Jean Fauchon, advisor for the mission club at the school, said it is important for students to know just how lucky they are to live in Canada.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the kids to see the world and appreciate the lives they have here,” Fauchon said. “They’ll get the satisfaction of knowing what it’s like to help somebody and see what it’s like to be on the other side of poverty.”

Fauchon said the team will build schools in the community and help in whatever way they can. In previous trips to Costa Rica and Peru the team provided food and water to the homeless.

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There will be 16 members going on the mission. Each volunteer requires $4,800 to go on the trip. Fauchon said this year they need the money more than ever.

“We needed a really big fundraiser this year because our situation has changed. We’re no longer sponsored by the school in terms of insurance so we needed to purchase our own, which for this type of trip can be very expensive,” Fauchon said.

The mission club hasn’t held a red-eye slo-pitch tournament in roughly 10 years. There is a $400 entry fee for the 10 teams participating and a $2 admission for spectators at the gate. A beer garden will run from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. tonight and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. There will also be a guaranteed 50/50 draw to help support the mission.

Fauchon said red-eye tournaments are a lot of fun because people will be able to play under the stadium lights all night which is something most slo-pitch players aren’t able to do. Games begin at 6 p.m. tonight and will run overnight until 6 p.m. tomorrow.  

Greg Higgins is battlefordsNOW’s city municipal affairs and health reporter. He can be reached at ghiggins@jpbg.ca or tweet him @realgreghiggins.