We held the 3rd Annual TJ Sommers Memorial Softball Tournament last Saturday, July 23rd 2011.
It’s really starting to sink in for us what an impact this has on everybody involved. We couldn’t have imagine 2 years ago as the planning for the first one was underway how Tim and Mary would take something originally started to help them and also to honor TJ’s memory and turn it into something that allows us to be God’s hands and feet. Tim and Mary requested after that first year that future tournaments be used to bless a local family that is going through tough times. Last year we were able to donate the profits to a local family who was watching their daughter fight an eating disorder.
This year Tim and Mary picked a local family that had been in a car accident which left the father with severe brain injuries very similar to TJ’s. The father survived but is unable to care for his family as he did before. You can learn more about their story at www.supportjeff.com.
Jeff’s wife, Jen, spoke at our noon memorial service.
Along with Jen, we were so blessed to have three of TJ’s organ recipients attend the tournament this year. Last year Tim Saylor, TJ’s heart and lung recipient threw out the first pitch after the memorial service. This year he was joined by Arnie, who received TJ’s liver and five-year-old Michael who received one of TJ’s kidneys.
Here is Jen with Tim and Mary in front of a banner that briefly shares her family’s story along with their picture.
We have also been able to use this tournament as a way to get word out about organ donation and the need for it. This was something that was important to TJ. As we said good-bye to him, his mother, Mary, said TJ was going off to do his hero work. And that’s what he did as evidenced by the three people we saw that day would wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the choice TJ made. The three organ recipients:
Sydney, Corban and Jared all ready in their tournament shirts:
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