The Winkler Diamonds hosted an exciting weekend softball tournament for the Children's Camps International (CCI). The event, which ran from Friday through Sunday, saw energetic participation from 12 local teams competing to raise funds to send kids to camp.
"I believe strongly the importance of sharing the gospel... what we decided to do is to join hand in hand to send kids to camp. It's crucial because they're all Christian camps," said Harold Espinosa, President of The God Who Sees Me Missions and Sixteeen13 Ministry. "Joining with CCI is a tremendous blessing and an honour to serve."
Friday alone raised $20,000, which will help send 5,000 children to camp internationally. The weekend featured more fundraising opportunities, including a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, and an exciting incentive for the team that brought in the most donations—box seat tickets to a Goldeyes game.
"It's been a lot of fun, we're trying hard... I think it [CCI] gives the game a lot of meaning because not only are we having fun, but we get to know we're making a difference in kids' lives across the world. It makes it fun and gives it a purpose," said participant Kendra Last.
The tournament was organized through a partnership between Children's Camps International and Sixteen 13 Ministry, which provided a food truck selling lunch and supper throughout the event. This partnership united volunteers and participants by the shared mission of supporting children's camps.
"When they started the games, we were seeing the community coming together again, they came together... They're hitting home, runs to send kids to camp and teams were cheering each other on as they did," said CCI Executive Director Dave Thiessen.
Overall, the CCI Softball Tournament provided a weekend of sports and fun and made a difference in the lives of thousands of children.
