Community Corner

Howell's Bravest and Finest to Square Off Tonight in Fundraiser

Home run derby and softball game to raise money for local residents

Members of the Howell police and fire departments will be starting their holiday weekend with a bang on Friday in the name of a good cause.

The second Annual Reese Behnken Charity Home Run Derby and Softball Game will be returning to FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, starting at 4 p.m. Normally the home of the Lakewood BlueClaws, the Single 'A' affiliate of the Phillies, on Friday it will be a chance for some of Howell's public servants to claim bragging rights for another year.

Before the game gets underway, members of the crowd will have a chance to win cash and prizes of their own. For a $20 donation, you can step into the batter's box and get 15 swings on the minor league field for the home run derby. The winning slugger wins either a softball bat or a cash equivalent.

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Once the last moon shot has sailed over the fences, it will be time for the game. In the inaugural contest last year, the Fire Department squeaked out a 9-7 victory, so it is a safe bet that the police officers will be looking to tie the series up at one.

All the money raised will benefit two local children. One is Reese Behnken, for whom the game is named after she was diagnosed in 2006 with a disease known as Metachromatic Leukodystrophy. 

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The other beneficiary will be Logan James Parker, who is also the nephew of Howell police officer John Tucker. At just three-years-old Logan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

On Superbowl Sunday this year, the Southard Fire Company hosted a for Logan as his family waited for a cord blood stem cell transplant at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).  The money raised on Friday will continue to help the families as they work through these difficult times. 

For more information on Reese, you can visit this website. For more about Logan you can visit this Facebook page.


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