COCHRANE— Cochrane Minor Ball has launched a fundraiser with a special early-bird prize up for grabs for those who buy tickets before May 14.
Prizes for the fundraiser include a $2,500 grand prize, $1,500 second-place prize and $1,000 third-place prize.
Tickets can be purchased for $10 apiece.
The special prize is a Mike Soroka Atlanta Braves jersey, signed by the Calgary native himself, which was donated to Cochrane Minor Ball by a member of the association.
Soroka trained out of the Coyote Den Training Centre in Calgary, which is a service Cochrane Minor Ball enlists for skill and ability training, as well as camps for the kids in the organization.
Cochrane Minor Ball administration and operations manager Michelle O’How said the fundraiser is a great way to raise money for kids programming and keeps registration fees low so that every family who wants to participate can.
“We fundraise every year, and because last year we didn’t get to do that we had to dip into our savings a bit. We wanted to be able to put that back into savings, plus we wanted to keep our fees low for families in the community, and we just thought this raffle would be a good idea,” said O'How.
Keeping the registration fees low through fundraising is critical to keeping the sport accessible for all of the families in Cochrane.
“It’s really important for us to be able to offer programs in the community that are affordable for all families. We don’t want families to miss out on an opportunity because they can’t afford to play,” she said. “I think this year has been especially hard for many families, and being able to offer our programming at the pricing we’re able to do, at the fees we’re able to do, it allows everyone the opportunity to play.”
Cochrane Minor Ball has seen nearly 600 kids register to play this season, O’How said, which is indicative of the excitement Cochanites have to get back on the field this summer.
“I think people are looking forward to getting outside, getting back into sports, getting back to life just in general, and this was just a sign that people are ready. Between baseball and softball, we hope to get out on the diamond sooner than later.”
The raffle is open until June 29, and a can be found on Cochrane Minor Ball’s Facebook page.
