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Kickball Classic set for Saturday

Christine Ina Casillas

The second annual Evans Chaffee Kickball Classic will begin at 7 a.m. at the Eagle-Vail Pavilion for all who want to play a little ball, eat pancakes or hotdogs and enjoy the late summer sun.

The tournament, first held last summer, was created to raise funds for local organizations serving women and children in need of health and human services.

“Each year, we choose a different beneficiary that helps women and children,” said Beth Christie, business manager for Evans Chaffee Construction Group. “But we’ll probably start switching them around after a while.”



The beneficiary of this year’s tournament is Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, an organization that provides court-appointed advocates for children who have been victims of negligence or abuse.

“CASA walks through the court system and gives children a voice,” Christie said. “The volunteers act in the best interest of the children. They make friends with the kids and talk with them regularly about their wants and needs – if they want to go back to their parents.

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“CASA doesn’t have a huge following in Eagle County, and there’s only a few cases brought before them now.”

Last year’s beneficiary was Freedom Ranch, the Eagle County Women and Children’s Shelter.

“We’re trying to keep it open as far as who we help,” said Michele Evans, president of Evans Chaffee Construction Group. “Who can we best help and who will benefit the most from it?”

The construction group was involved with the building of the women’s shelter, but at the end of the project, the shelter needed additional help to open the doors, Christie said. The construction company opted for a pancake breakfast and a kickball contest as a way to raise money for the shelter.

“We did the kickball game to see if anyone would show up – and $9,000 later – we decided to make it an annual event,” Christie said.

The first game last year drew 16 teams, but Evans Chaffee wants to double that number this year to 36. Vail Valley businesses and individuals organize kickball teams of eight to 10 people, which compete in the championship tournament. So far, about 20 teams are signed up to play in the tournament.

Last year, as the event drew near, “all these teams came out of the woodwork,” Christie said.

“The day before, we were just burned out,” she said. “We were going to spend 13 hours in the sun, but once the people started to show up it was incredible.”

Volunteers, participants needed

– The second Evans Chaffee Kickball Classic will kick off Saturday at the Eagle-Vail Pavilion.

– Organizers need volunteers to help serve water, umpire and keep score.

– More participants also are welcome.

– The fund-raiser starts at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast; the kickball tournament begins at 8 a.m.

– The cost is $200. Breakfast and lunch is not included in the $200 registration fee.

– For more information, call 845-0466 or visit http://www.evanschaffee.com.

Christine Ina Casillas can be reached at 949-0555, ext. 607 or at ccasillas@vaildaily.com.


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