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Salvation Army Dodgeball Tournament To Raise Funds For At-risk Youth

Salvation Army

The Springfield Salvation Army is looking for dodgeball teams to help raise money for at-risk youth.

 

The ninth annual fundraising tournament will be held in March.

 

Ryan Ray is development director for the Salvation Army.  He says the tournament's mission is to reassure neighborhood young people of their worth.

 

“We work with the kids that, typically, people don’t necessarily want to work with," he says. "This tournament is a gift to them, if you will, to let them know they matter, that they’re worth it."

Ray says proceeds from the dodgeball tournament will go toward funding another sporting event -  a basketball tournament - later this year - that will also feature music from a Christian hip-hop artist.

 

"There’s probably enough people that enjoy dodgeball, or there might be some nostalgia from your school days. So, it just had an attraction to it because it was unique, but also could be played in a pretty good team setting,” he says.

 

Salvation Army officials say young people ages 15 and up can play in the tournament, and the deadline to register is March 1, 2018.

 

Jerry began volunteering at WYSO in 1991 and hosting Sunday night's Alpha Rhythms in 1992. He joined the YSO staff in 2007 as Morning Edition Host, then All Things Considered. He's hosted Sunday morning's WYSO Weekend since 2008 and produced several radio dramas and specials . In 2009 Jerry received the Best Feature award from Public Radio News Directors Inc., and was named the 2023 winner of the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Best Anchor/News Host award. His current, heart-felt projects include the occasional series Bulletin Board Diaries, which focuses on local, old-school advertisers and small business owners. He has also returned as the co-host Alpha Rhythms.