Students 'Play Ball' for Jonathan!

Concord – In what has become something of a rite of spring at Concord's Community College, NHTI is holding a Charity Wiffle Ball Tournament on Saturday April 18th. The school is seeking teams from other colleges, high schools, business, families - "whoever wants to have a great time and make a difference in someone's life while they're doing it," says Chuck Lloyd, Director of Student Life.

Games begin at 9:00 am and run throughout the day, both outdoors on the campus quad (weather permitting) and indoors in the Goldie Crocker Wellness Center Gym. With each team trying to score as many runs as possible in three, five-minute innings, the pace of the tourney is frantic - and fun! Regardless of the final scores, the winners will be the family of 17-year-old Jonathan, who is living with Duchene's Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a condition characterized by rapid progression of muscular degeneration.

The Wiffle Ball Tournament is an annual fundraiser coordinated between NHTI and Community Bridges, a local non-profit agency that supports people with disabilities and their families. Funds are raised by team registration fees, concession sales, and a raffle held during the tournament. (The registration fee is $100 from the team members, matched by $100 from a business sponsor.) Local businesses are also contributing food to sell at the tournament, gift certificates and other items to include in the raffle, and cash. The event is open to the public; admission is by donation. All proceeds will go into an account for Jonathan's family.

NHTI, Concord's Community College, is a fully accredited, public community college serving students, businesses and the community by providing excellent academic, technical and professional education. NHTI offers 62 academic programs to more than 4,000 students. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire.