Lee Johnson
Managing Editor
gljohnson@valdosta.edu

On Saturday, the Delta Chi fraternity will host the Sixth Annual Delta Chi Charity Winterball Softball Tournament at Freedom Park in hopes to raise money to help a Valdosta family overcome tragedy.
The proceeds from this year’s tournament will go to help the Lee family.
The Lees lost a child not long after his birth due to a very rare heart abnormality. Not much is known about the disease, so much so that research was being documented as the child was being diagnosed.
The Lees will also donate a portion of the money to the PedsCare program at Northeast Florida Community Hospice, who helped the family out during their time of need. The PedsCare program provided the Lee family with a personal nurse, who moved from a nurse to a close family friend. She is speaking on behalf of the family during the opening ceremony of the tournament.
Leland Thompson, a Delta Chi member, is in charge of this year’s tournament and has been planning this tournament since before Christmas.
“I have to keep telling myself that the juice is worth the squeeze,” Thompson said. “It can get frustrating trying to organize something this big.”
There are over 40 teams competing in the tournament, including teams from Florida and Alabama.
Spectators are encouraged to attend and show their support.
“There will be a donations table set up there [Freedom Park],” Thompson said. “We are also having a raffle.”
A necklace donated from Steel’s Jewelry and a knife from Carlton Outdoors will be included in the raffle.
This tournament provides not only the Delta Chi fraternity, but other Greek organizations a chance to give back to the community.
“We have had several other fraternities and sororities that weren’t able to play donate money,” Thompson said. “It’s just one of those feelings where you know you did something good.”
The opening ceremony will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the first games at 8:30 a.m.
For more information about donations contact Leland Thompson at ljthompson@valdosta.edu or Zach Dykes at wzdykes@valdosta.edu.