Tate's annual Strike Out Cancer game versus West Florida collected a giant donation
Between the foul lines, Tate and West Florida are two softball programs that have become accustomed to winning. Playing to an 11-inning decision this past season, they are anything but friends on the diamond.
However, it's their collective impact off the field that has blossomed their annual contest into a ravaging success.
For the ninth consecutive year playing against one another in Tate's yearly Strike Out Cancer game, the programs and their fanbases collaborated for a donation of $31,000 to the American Cancer Society. This is the Aggies' 11th year hosting the special event.
"I never in my wildest dreams (imagined giving this big of a donation)," Aggies head coach Melinda Wyatt said. "The year before that, we raised $22,000 and some change and so I was hoping … my goal was that or $25,000, so when we reached $25,000 I was like, 'there's a lot of time left.'"
By auctioning off gift baskets donated by local companies, accepting personal donations from willing donors and even getting a donation from the Okaloosa County Officials Association, Tate was able to announce the bigger-than-expected contribution.
Every October, the Aggies also participate as a team in the Making Strides of Pensacola walk, hosted by the ACS to raise money for breast cancer research. They raised the most of any group in 2020. The 2021 results have yet to be posted.
Nonetheless, the program's activism within the community has set the standard for generosity and further proven the importance of sport: it teaches ever-important life lessons to the athletes.
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"We're trying to teach these kids, it's not all about you," Wyatt said. "They're (cancer victims) the most important thing right now and they need some financial help … it pays for a ride to the doctor's office, maybe some groceries and help with the medical expenses … it's a good cause because these kids need to be involved with that because it's going to touch all of them in some form or fashion."
It's come a long way since the inaugural year where the Aggies donated roughly $2,000. Since then, Wyatt has found ways to draw more attention to the event and better service all cancer victims.
What initially started as a breast cancer fundraiser has now turned into a general cancer fundraiser, taking donations to support all different forms of the nasty disease. Hence the Aggies multi-colored jerseys, where each letter on the uniform takes on a different color to represent the varying cancer ribbons.
"I feel like we get a bigger crowd when include all of the cancer instead of just pink, pink, pink for breast cancer," Wyatt said. "We've had many teachers, teachers with breast cancer, teachers with brain cancer and I was just thinking, it hits home with everyone so let's just do it."
Whether you're a Tate or WFHS parent, athlete, supporter, faculty member or neutral community member, there are ways to get involved.
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Anyone looking to support the cause can contact the Aggies booster club to learn about next steps. Some options including writing a check that will be earmarked for next year's game, donating food for the concessions (all proceeds go to the ACS), or for business owners, donating gift baskets to be raffled off.
As of now, Tate and their game partners have combined to raise a grand total of $164,437 for cancer awareness over the past 11 seasons.
Lucas Semb can be reached at Lsemb@pensacol.gannett.com or 850-281-7414. Follow him on Twitter at @Lucas_Semb for stories and various Pensacola area score updates.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Tate Aggies and West Florida Jaguars combine for large donation
