High school softball: Playing for one of their own

Usually they play for the principle.

The hundreds of high school softball players who participate in the annual Swing For Life softball tournament raise money for months because they know the Huntsman Cancer Institute needs help ridding the world of cancer.

This year, they will play to honor — and help — one of their own.

Copper Hills sophomore pitcher Shelby Abeyta was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in February.

"When Coach (Shane) Lucas called me and told me about this young lady, it just touched my heart," said co-founder and breast cancer survivor Kathy Howa, who coaches softball at Rowland Hall-St. Mark's. "I can't believe at that age, this young lady has to deal with such a horrible disease. I said let's dedicate this year to her. Let's try to help her with her struggles. We want her to know that people have her back."

Howa's decision to start a fundraiser and education campaign about breast cancer eight years ago came from her own struggle with the disease. Before she was even finished with treatment, she was organizing a hit-a-thon where softball players collected pledges and then donated the money to cancer research. That first year just three schools participated.

This year the hit-a-thon is gone. The 32 softball teams will participate in a two-day tournament that includes what must be the state's largest athletically related sleep over in the Rowland Hall gymnasium.

"The teams get to save money and make money for a good cause," she said of the sleepover that includes teams from Milford, Juab, Layton, Westlake, East, Rowland Hall, Monticello and Delta, just to name a few.

In addition to some late night dancing and party games, the girls spend about an hour with doctors from the Huntsman Cancer Institute learning about prevention, awareness, symptoms and treatment. They also learn where all that money they raised is going.

"I have two favorite moments," said Howa, whose original idea has now spawned Pink Games in almost every sport in high school, college and professional teams around the west. "When all the girls in the sleepover sit down and ask all the incredible questions of the doctor. The learning part of it is pretty impressive. That's what they wake up to what we're really doing. It's not just about having fun...But it is nice that we can have fun while eradicating this disease."