Batter up! The 14th annual Ruby Rutnik Tournament is set for March 26 through 28 at the Winston Wells Ballfield in Cruz Bay.
"This is one of the only opportunities for all of the Virgin Islands, including Tortola, to showcase their girl’s softball teams," Rutnik’s father, Andrew Rutnik, said.
The event is held in memory of Ruby Rutnik, a St. John girl who was a star pitcher at Antilles School. She died Dec. 4, 1996 in a car crash while attending American University in Washington, D.C. The tournament is held every year around her April 9 birthday.
"No greater words, deeds or actions can equal this tribute to our daughter, and for this we are forever grateful," Rutnik said.
Rutnik said the tournament is earlier than usual this year because otherwise it would conflict with Easter and St. Thomas Carnival.
This year, teams from Central High School and Educational Complex on St. Croix, Eudora Kean High School and Antilles School on St. Thomas and Elmore Stoutt High School on Tortola will participate.
Stoutt won the tournament last year.
The first game will begin at 4 p.m. March 26, with an opening ceremony held at 6 p.m. On March 27, the games run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The championship game begins at noon March 28. All proceeds from the sponsorship of innings and the sale of t-shirts go to the Ruby Rutnik Scholarship Fund.
Love City Pan Dragons steel pan group will sell food and drink to raise money for their program.
Innings are for sale for $100 each, a game is $700 and a scholarship runs $2,500.
Since 1996, the scholarship fund has paid out $106,500 in scholarships, Rutnik said. Other funds have paid for improvements to the Winston Wells Ballfield.
To purchase an inning or make a donation, make checks payable to RRSF Inc. Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Pay Pal are also accepted.
Mail checks to Box 348, St. John, VI, 00831 or drop the checks off at Connections in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.
For more information on donating, call Rutnik at 693-8069.
