Adna community gathers for 16th annual Sarah Slape Softball Tournament

Back Memorial Park in Adna was filled with two days of softball and smiles for the 16th annual Sarah Slape Co-Ed Softball Tournament on Saturday and Saturday.

Slape, a 1995 Adna High School graduate, passed away in 2015 at the age of 38 after a six-year battle with breast cancer. The softball tournament was first created to raise money for Slape and her family. After her passing, proceeds from the tournament supported the Sarah Slape Memorial Scholarship through the Adna Scholarship Foundation. An Adna High School graduate is chosen to receive a $1,000 scholarship in Slape’s honor.

A dozen teams suited up throughout the tournament, with the first day featuring a round-robin schedule before a single-elimination bracket to determine a winner on Sunday. Monetary and raffle donations were accepted for the fundraiser, and more than 50 items, including gift certificates from businesses, a bicycle, power equipment, home decor, and more, were donated for the raffle.

“It means a lot to her family and her boys, and it means a lot to our community,” organizer Meranda McAuley said. “We have lots of events in Adna that everybody gets together for, and they just keep coming back.”

Stay Golden was the tournament champion for this year’s event.