WAEB/AccuWeather Softball Game

A record sized crowd of friends and supporters attended the WAEB-AccuWeather Benefit Softball Game on May 6, 2007. Dr. Joe Sobel and the AccuWeather group racked up more points than WAEB, but everyone was a winner in our eyes! The total of $2918 was raised through raffle ticket, food sales, and donations. Many thanks to Bobby Gunther Walsh and WAEB for hosting the event again, to Dr. Joe and the AccuWeather family for making the long trip, and to all the businesses who donated prizes and food. Service Tire and Truck Center sponsored the event and donated Phillies tickets and hats and shirts for giveaways. DeSales University kindly allowed the game to be played on their softball field, and the Brickman Group of Bethlehem donated the dragging and lining of the field, the DeSales softball coach and other members of the Athletic Department and the Development and Rentals offices were supportive, and the Upper Saucon Ambulance and Denise Shaeffer (medic) and campus police were present to make certain everyone had a safe and fun afternoon. Thanks also to Audible Sound, Bobby’s Race Crew, the WAEB staff, and to Umpire Walt Conway, ably assisted by Scrappy (Bobby’s dog).

Winner of a gorgeous pearl necklace donated by Bixler’s Jewelers was Debbie Keretz of Bethlehem. Emily Clemente of Bethlehem won the gas grill donated by Lehigh Supply. Shelly McGregor of Easton won a $100 Aykroyd gift certificate. Cindy Deutsch won Phillies tickets, and Marie Egon won the Hershey Park prize. $50 Bacio gift certificates were won by Dianne Bradford, Kalli Zellers, Glenn Balliet, and Debby Miller.

Other prizes won were donated by Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Carol and Lorraine of Just Born Candies (with the Peep Mobile), Coca-Cola Bottling of the Lehigh Valley, and WAEB.

The food for the cookout after the game was donated by the Allentown Farmer’s Market and prepared with expert and loving care by Chef Rich Wertman and his helpers. This was the first time most of the AccuWeather and WAEB team members had ever seen Animals in Distress, since our sanctuary was always located so far away from where the games were played. This year, everyone got to see what they were playing for!

Special thanks to all of our staff and volunteers for doing hundreds of tasks to prepare for the event and to set up at the field, cook and serve the food at the game, and coordinate a thousand other details. Our volunteers do so many things throughout the year, giving so generously of their time (and money), and we just could not hold such events without all of them.

A final thank you to all our newsletter readers and to the WAEB listeners who bought raffle tickets, came to the game, and in general supported this event.