news release - City of Elkhart

CITY OF ELKHART FROM THE OFFICE OF MAYOR TIM NEESE

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 22, 2016

National softball championship coming to Elkhart this weekend ELKHART (August 22, 2016) –Riverview Park Softball Complex in Elkhart is set to host its first ever Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Fast Pitch Men’s Open East National Championship. The tournament will take place this Friday through Sunday. Elkhart Mayor Tim Neese will offer brief remarks at the start of the tournament at approximately 6:00p.m. Friday. He will also throw out the first pitch. “The city of Elkhart is proud to host this tournament, which will attract teams from throughout the state of Indiana and across the eastern portion of the United States,” said Neese. “The city is hard at work preparing Riverview Park to ensure it is a place where visiting teams can be proud to play and spectators can be comfortable and proud to watch. I ask Elkhart residents to join me in welcoming this special event to our city and hope to see them back year after year.” The format of the tournament is a two-tier bracket where teams are first entered into the Gold double elimination bracket. Any team that goes 0-2 or 1-2, drops down into a new Silver double elimination bracket. Fourteen teams have signed up to play, and both Gold and Silver tournaments will be ASA National Champions. Daily passes can be purchased at Riverview Park for $10 per day or $25 for the weekend. In conjunction with the national tournament, the city of Elkhart will also host a charity softball game on Friday, August 26 from 7:00p.m. to 9:00p.m on Riverview #1. The two teams will be made up of current and former city employees, members of the Elkhart Police and Fire Departments, city council members and Mayor Neese. There will be no additional charge to attend this game, however in honor of Hunger Action Month, players and spectators are asked to bring at least one canned item or other non-perishable food item to donate. Donations will benefit the local Salvation Army, Church Community Services and the Faith Mission. This event is made possible through the cooperation of the Indiana Amateur Softball Association, the City of Elkhart Parks and Recreation Department and ASA/USA Softball, the strongest softball organization in the country. For more information, please visit www.elkhartindiana.org/softball. Media inquiries should be directed to tournament director Ed Bellows at (574) 596-3036 or [email protected]. Media may also contact Courtney Bearsch, Director of Communications for Mayor Neese, at (574) 294-5471 ext. 242 or [email protected]. -30Note to the press: Attached is a promotional flier.