Softball
In 1991, Andy Smyth, along with brother, Jeff, and family friend, Don Voner, created the softball tournament and called it the "Betty Smyth Softball Classic". It was organized to commemorate the life and vivacity of Andy and Jeff’s mother, who died of breast cancer in 1988. The idea for the event was to have a weekend filled with fun centered around softball, while contributing to the fight against cancer. The event continued in 1992 and 1993, growing more successful with each passing year.
In 1996, the tournament was re-created as "Take a Swing at Cancer ‘96" and was even more successful then the previous tournaments. Twenty teams registered and over $6,000 was netted. All proceeds were donated directly to the American Cancer Society. By this time, a core group of committed volunteers had formed.
The very first tournament was held at Tufts University in Medford, MA. But, all subsequent events have taken place at the Mitre Field Complex in Burlington, MA. The 2007 tournament represented the 15th Annual softball tournament and Hurricane Hanna forced the cancellation of the 16th Annual event in 2008.
Read more about this topic: Take A Swing At Cancer