Mishawaka whiffleball championship raises money

By ED RONCO, Tribune Staff Writer

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Wiffle Ballin' for Kids

Ryan Rebholz, of Fishers, hits a home run off this pitch against the team Holy Balls during The Children's Campus 2009 Wiffle Ballin' for Kids Fundraiser at Rose Park in Mishawaka on Saturday. (Tribune Photo MARCUS MARTER)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jul 26, 2009 at 10:21 AM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 26, 2009 at 10:25 AM EDT

MISHAWAKA — The smell of the burgers. The roar of the lawn-chaired crowd. The "donk" of a plastic bat.

The World Whiffleball Championship started up Saturday afternoon at Rose Park: Fifty competitive teams, 14 whiffleball diamonds, three trophies, a lot of fun and maybe a pinch of trash talking.

The $120-per-team entry fee also serves as a fundraiser for The Children's Campus, a Mishawaka-based residential facility for youth aged 6 to 18.

"This and the basketball tournament really helps fund our department," said Rich Carrasco, recreation supervisor for The Children's Campus.

Family problems and legal troubles can often end up forming a terrible cycle — one The Children's Campus works to break, said Valli Scott, its operations manager.

"It just passes on from generation to generation to generation," she said. "This is a way to stop it."

The whiffleball event draws players from all over the country.

Scott Ermeti, of Los Angeles, has been to all but one of the tournaments, which started about 30 years ago. His sister, Kris, is executive director of The Children's Campus.

But other members of his team — "The Homeboys" — have come a long way, too, even without a personal connection to the campus. The team included people from Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

"We tend to have a little more fun and be a little less competitive," Ermeti said. "Probably because we're not that good anymore."

Well, good enough to win their game Saturday afternoon.

Twenty-eight teams advance to Sunday's single-elimination competition. The first game begins at 9 a.m. at Rose Park, which is near the intersection of West and 15th streets in Mishawaka.

For more information on The Children's Campus, visit www.childrenscampus.org.

Staff writer Ed Ronco:
eronco@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6353

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