SFSSA HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT

Every once in a while I get a distinct feeling of pride that makes my chest puff out in front of my ample stomach. Today was one of those days. I am associated with and on the Boards of Directors of three Senior Softball Associations, all of which serve the Seniors in areas of Florida. But today, as on many other occasions The South Florida Senior Softball Association came through once again. On 9/11, the date of the horrific slaughter at the World Trade Center which has been come to be known as Patriots' Day, the SFSSA made a donation of $800 to Missions United, a division of the United Way to help Veterans obtain dental care for those who cannot afford it. There are dentists here who do work on the vets pro bono, but the tests and other incidentals do have to come out of the vets pockets. This donation made it possible for several vets to get much needed work done.

The Vet's Center near Miami was robbed a few days ago. All the food stuff there to feed vets who have nowhere else to go was taken. I received an email from one of SFSSA members, Manny Queipo telling me of the robbery. An email was sent out to our members Thursday night. On Friday morning, Manny left our field at Pompano Beach with a truckload of canned goods donated by our members to help feed the vets. Those who hadn't read the email kicked in an additional $150 that Manny used to buy more food for the VFW chapter. That was yesterday!

Today, our fourth annual holiday tournament took place. Let me explain how Senior Tournaments here in Florida usually work. When a team enters a tournament there is usually an entry fee between $150-$200 dollars. A team either has a sponsor or the players kick in to cover the fee. The SFSSA Holiday tournament is different. Each participant is responsible for bringing a new, unwrapped toy or toys to the field that will be donated to a charity for children who otherwise may not receive a gift. This year's recipient was Women In Distress, an organization that helps women and their children who have been in abusive relationships. The shelter these families while trying to extricate them from the horrors they've experienced. These women and children have no place else to go and often have no means to support themselves. Naturally, Christmas Day can be bleak for them without a little help. The volunteers from this agency left with an SUV filled to capacity with toys donated by our members. All four teams in the tournament this year came from within our club. There was a draft and four managers were named. The sponsors of the tournament, Tony Belmont, Rob Farina, Dale Franklin, Johnny Rogers and Tom Valenti furnished shirts for all four teams. Tom's team came out on top but the real winners will be the children on Christmas morning. Women in Distress will have the mothers select the toys for their children so no child will receive a gift that they may not have wanted. Any readers who would like to donate to this group, the vets, or simply to SFSSA and designate their donation for charity only, we'll make sure it is used properly and 100% of your donation will go to a good cause.

I'd be remiss if I did not mention the dynamic untitled leader of this group who I have dubbed "The Grand Poobah of Pompano", George Deeb. He is the driving force behind the organization and it would never be the same without him. His tireless efforts make the club what it is. There are many organizations who have good ideas, but George turns those ideas into realities.

Yes, I'm proud today. Proud of my fellow club members, the people who comprise the South Florida Senior Softball Association whose hearts are as big as their batting averages! I'm proud of those volunteers who are available to come to the field and accept the largess that we are, thank G-d able to provide for them. Most of us are retired. The age range is from the 50s into the mid 70s. We come from all walks of life. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics and one Lebanese guy (George) who pulls it all together. How lucky am I to be associated with such a great bunch of guys?! G-d bless each and every one of them, and G-d bless you as well. Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, A Joyous Kwanzaa to you all!

Jeff Schrier