American Legion Baseball event raises money for cancer research

American Legion Baseball event raises money for cancer research

(St. Louis, Missouri — April 20, 2015) The Mighty 10th Battles Cancer, an annual American Legion baseball event raising money for cancer research, is proud to announce its arrangement with the Jason Motte Foundation. The Mighty 10th hopes to raise over $10,000 at its June event — 100 percent of all net proceeds will support the efforts of the foundation started by the former American Legion and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and his wife.

This year’s games, with support from title sponsor Gamlin Restaurant Group, will be held June 6 at Ballwin Athletic Association. Eight varsity American Legion teams from Missouri’s 10th District — each battling against a specific cancer — will come together to play league games while helping to educate attendees about each represented illness.

We wanted to come up with an event that would not be just about raising money, but also about raising awareness and about taking a moment to recognize the many individuals in our community who have fought and are fighting this fight,” said Elizabeth Arway, co-founder of The Mighty 10th. “Plus, what’s better than connecting with family and friends and watching baseball on a Saturday in June?”

Arway and her husband, P.J., started The Mighty 10th in 2013, after seeing several close family members lose their battles with cancer. PJ Arway has been a participant in American Legion Baseball for nearly 20 years, as a player, coach and general manager.

In addition to raising money for cancer research, the event teaches young players that they can use the gift of baseball to raise awareness and funding to fight the disease. At the same time, the event enlightens all players, parents and fans about warning signs and treatments for a variety of cancers.

“Last spring, we were able to raise over $4,000 for Siteman Cancer Center, which was an accomplishment for our second year,” Arway said. “We’re so excited to be working with Jason Motte and his organization this year because we know he’s going to help bring a huge amount of visibility to a cause that’s so near and dear to all our hearts.”

Since 2010, former Cardinal Jason Motte and his family have worked tirelessly to provide comfort and care where there is a need for those affected, either directly or indirectly, by cancers of all kinds. The foundation raised over $100,000 for cancer charities in 2014.