donations

End of Spring 2022 Softball Donation Standings!

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End of Spring Softball Donation Standings
  1. Don’t Waste Durham – $442
  2. South Durham Little League – $362
  3. Girls on the Run of the Triangle – $213
  4. Central Piedmont Community Action, Inc – $201
  5. Miracle League of the Triangle – $182
  6. Meals on Wheels Durham – $130
  7. Vets to Vets United, Inc – $127
  8. Crayons2Calculators: The Durham Teacher Warehouse Corporation (C2C) – $117
  9. Housing for New Hope – $95
  10. The Animal Protection Society of Durham – $94
  11. PORCH-Durham – $90
  12. Josh’s Hope – $63
TOTAL: $2,116!
With 214 players contributing, each player entry accounted for ~$10 that will be donated to our charity partners this year!
Thanks to everyone who participated and I hope you’ll play again this Summer!
(Note: Photos are missing $100 from donation drive winners)

2021 Summer Donation Pool Structure & Playoff Format

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Because of the unique schedule this season, we’ve adapted the playoff format and donation structure slightly for this season. Details below.

Donations will be awarded to the team’s charity two ways:

  1. $1 per Run Scored during the season (max $20 per game).
  2. Bonuses for finishing in the Top 8.
  3. Wins during the Playoffs.

End-of-Season Bonuses shall be awarded, as follows: 

  • 1st Place, +$150
  • 2nd Place, +$100
  • 3rd Place, +$75
  • 4th Place, +$50
  • 5th – 8th Place, +$25

PLAYOFFS

Because the Parks will be closed after November 1, and still allow one backup rain date, we are scheduling our Playoffs for Sunday, October 24. With only 1-week for playoffs in Summer 2021, we’re playing a modified schedule from a standard 2-week playoff format.

  • The 1, 2, 3, and 4 teams advance to a single elimination tournament to decide the Champion.
  • The 5, 6, 7, and 8 teams advance to a single elimination tournament to decide the First Consolation.
  • The 9, 10, 11, and 12 teams advance to a single elimination tournament to decide the Second Consolation.
  • The 13 and 14 teams advance to a single elimination tournament to decide the Third Consolation.

The Second and Third Playoff Consolation games will be played AT ANOTHER FIELD IN DURHAM (TBD), also on Sunday, October 24.

Playoff Game Bonuses shall be awarded, as follows: 

  • $50 for any First Round win.
  • $150 for the Championship.
  • $100 for First Consolation Championship.
  • $75 for Second Consolation Championship.

For example, if a team scores 82 runs and comes in 2nd Place, they will earn $182 for their charity. If they also win their 1st round game and the Championship, they add +$200 to their winnings to donate a total of $382 to their sponsor’s charity on the season!

At the start of the 2021 Summer season, we are projecting about $2000 in donations this season! We’ll see if we can meet that goal!

Playoff Structure

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We are lucky enough to have 16 Teams of Players join our league this season, with each group of 16 players supporting a great local cause with their efforts on the field. The game is fun and friendly, but we also want to keep it competitive. To work within the limitations of our facilities and schedule, while also making the Regular Season more meaningful, only the Top 8 Teams will make the Playoffs during the 2019 Spring Season.

At the end of the Regular Season, the Top 8 Teams will face off in a 1-week, single-elimination tournament to decide the overall League Champion. If your Team makes the Top 8 for the Regular Season, you will play 1, 2, or 3 games on a single day for the Playoffs. If your Team finishes ranked 9-16, you will have a Bye week and a break before the Summer League.

To keep the Bottom 8 Teams interested in the outcome, the Top 8 Teams will each be paired with one of the Bottom 8 charities to also earn donations for their cause during the Playoffs! The Team will “adopt” a second charity for the Playoffs by competing for an ADDITIONAL 50% of the donations they raise for their own charity to the other Team’s cause. Basically, the Teams that make the playoffs will be competing to earn donations for two causes during the playoffs.

For example: 

  • The #1 Seed will be paired with the #16 seed’s charity. If the #1 Seed wins a $50 game, the #16 Charity will receive a $25 donation. If the #1 Seed wins a $200 Championship, the #16 Charity also receives a $100 donation!
  • All Pairings:
    • #1 with #16
    • #2 with #15
    • #3 with #14
    • #4 with #13
    • $5 with #12
    • #6 with #11
    • $7 with #10
    • #8 with #9
  • For every $1 that a Team IN the Playoffs earns, their Partner Team that was OUT of the Playoffs will earn an additional $.50.

2018 Final Budget Report

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Budget for Durham Softball, a charity softball league in Durham, NC
Final 2018 Budget Report for Durham Softball! Thanks to everyone for playing and making this year possible. Here is the recap of a few goals we had for the league this year and how close we came to achieving them:

1. Field a league with 8 teams of players. 
We only had 5 in the Spring, but we had 11 in the Summer. We averaged 8 teams per season, so we’ll call that a SUCCESS.

2. Donate 40% of our revenues. 
We definitely underestimated the cost of certain items in our budget, but they ended up being necessary to build a foundation for future seasons. Still, I think hindsight has shown that was way too optimistic. After going through Year 1, I’d now say 22.75% is pretty solid, but we FAILED on this one.

3. Donate more than $3,000. 
We *only* donated $2,800 in cash and didn’t quite hit $3,000, but our physical item donation drives were much more successful than I anticipated. With an estimated value of an additional $2,500 worth of items donated, I think we should call this a SUCCESS.

4. Get the Durham Bulls Baseball Club to acknowledge our league’s existence. 
We were really just hoping for a Twitter shout out or something, but we won their $10,000 Ballpark Renovation Grant and got invited onto the DBAP field to represent our league at a Bulls game. That was incredible. I still can’t believe it happened, but there are photos so I’m pretty sure it was real. Huge SUCCESS here.

5. Reach 500 Facebook Followers. 
We didn’t make it to 500, but the Followers we do have are great. If you’ve read this far and you’re still reading because you care about this league, you’re extra awesome. We FAILED, but maybe we’ll get there before next season!

Going 3 for 5 sounds like a pretty good game, so we’ll take it! Thanks again for playing everyone!

2018 Spring Sponsor Donation Pool

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2018 Durham Softball Budget

SPONSOR DONATION POOL – 2018 Pre-Season Projection

To make the games mean something, the teams are also playing for bonus donation amounts that are distributed from the Sponsor Donation Pool. Teams can earn extra bonuses for their Sponsors by achieving several different goals during the season.

Charity Distributions $ Donated
Divided by All Teams $4.00 / Game
Game Winner $3.00 / Game
Tournament Winner $100 / Season
Tournament Runner-Up $50 / Season
Regular Season 1st $100 / Season
Regular Season 2nd $50 / Season
7 Weekly Donation Drive Events $25 / Event
  • Play a single game. Each charity receives $2 per game just for playing.
  • Win a single game. Each charity receives an extra $3 per victory during the regular season.
  • Finish in 1st place. The first-place regular season team will earn $100 for their charity.
  • Finish in 2nd place. The second-place regular season team will earn $50 for their charity.
  • Win the Tournament. The tournament winner will earn $100 for their charity.
  • Runner-Up in Tournament. The tournament’s runner-up will earn $50 for their charity.
  • Win a Donation Drive Event. Win $25 for your charity by donating the most of a particular item during the contest.
  • Umpire’s Charity. Any amounts left at the end of the season will be given to one charity selected by the umpire based on each team’s attitude and sportsmanship during the season.

TOTAL PROJECTED DONATIONS FOR SPRING 2018: $800

TOTAL PAID REGISTRATIONS: 56

TOTAL “SPONSORED” REGISTRATIONS: 14

AVERAGE DONATION PER PAID PLAYER: $14.29

Including our weekly donation contests, we are projecting a minimum donation of $800 for our 2018 Spring Season. The donation range for each of our 8 charities will be between a $28 and $214, depending on how many games the team wins, where they place in the regular season, and how well they do in the tournament.

The amount of the 5th place team’s regular season earnings will also be donated to South Durham Little League, Kidznotes, and Meals on Wheels. All donations will be made with a one-time payment to the Sponsor at the end of the season, once the final amounts have been calculated.

Captain’s Interview: Housing for New Hope

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Housing for New Hope

Before our inaugural Durham Softball season, we asked our team captains to answer some questions about their organizations so we can help educate our players on their cause and why their work is important for the Durham community. These are their answers!

Housing for New Hope

Co-Captain’s Name:
Christy Thompson

Job / Title with Non-Profit:
Development Director

Personal Background:
I am a native of North Carolina, having grown up in Tarboro. I attended UNC-CH for undergraduate school and Pfeiffer University for graduate school. I am guardian and primary caregiver for my 13 year old great niece and two fur babies.

Softball Background:
I loved softball in 8th grade. I played in high school a little, and again when employed at a local psychiatric hospital. Since that time, many moons ago, I’ve not had the opportunity to participate in the game. I am an excellent cheerleader though! Heyyy batter batter!!

What do you like most about Housing for New Hope?
I love that Housing for New Hope is bringing awareness and understanding to an issue that can be very uncomfortable to deal with – homelessness. We are responding to the needs of our community by doing outreach to those living unsheltered, helping families move from shelters to a home of their own, and providing necessary supports to those who need to build self-sufficiency skills to live independently. But, my favorite thing is that we are helping to change the common misconception of what homelessness looks like and who it impacts.

Please describe Housing for New Hope and what they do for the Durham community.
Housing for New Hope works to prevent and end homelessness in our community.

What is a specific project/initiative will a contribution from Durham Softball help?
Donations will likely assist one of two programs:

  • Welcoming New Families Home – Help us purchase needed household items for families moving from homelessness to home!
  • Life Skills Management Classes- Provide bus passes and needed class materials (notebooks, pens, binders, etc…) for our tenants add they learn self-sufficiency skills.

Why did Housing for New Hope want to join the Durham Softball League?
We were flattered to be invited to participate in this league. Although we’ve been around for 26 years, we aren’t as well-known as we’d like. Joining the Durham Softball league gave us the opportunity to share our mission with our community and have a little fun in the process!

What would Housing for New Hope do with a $200 donation from Durham Softball? What would they do with a $1000 donation?
A $200 donation would help us purchase 5 welcome kits for families moving into new homes. A $1000 donation would completely furnish a new home for TWO families moving from homelessness to a new home.

Other than your own team, what other non-profit in the Durham Softball League would you want to win the championship? Why?
There are so many wonderful nonprofits in this league. I find value in each of them and feel as though they provide essential services to our community.

Featured Week Donation Item: Bath Towels!

One of the missions at Housing for New Hope is to help the community understand how they can be a part of the solution and be an advocate for our neighbors who have no voice. Things that are often taken for granted by many of us are extremely important to others. Did you happen to get an extra set of bath towels as a present that have been sitting in a closet for months? Re-paint the bathroom and have to get all new matching everything? Order the wrong monogram and/or change your name? We want your new and lightly used Bath Towels! Any new or lightly used bath towels, including hand towels and bath mats, will be accepted.

During one week of the 2018 season, Durham Softball players will have the chance to donate BATH TOWELS to Housing for New Hope. The team that combines to bring the most bath towels will earn a bonus donation for their team’s sponsor! You’ll earn a point per towel and donations will be accepted at the field until the last out of the last game each week.

Thanks for your support!

Captain’s Interview: Girls on the Run of the Triangle

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Girls on the Run of the Triangle

Before our inaugural Durham Softball season, we asked our team captains to answer some questions about their organizations so we can help educate our players on their cause and why their work is important for the Durham community. These are their answers!

Girls on the Run of the Triangle

Co-Captain’s Name:
Mia Xavier

Job / Title with Non-Profit:
Director of Development

Personal Background:
I’ve been a huge baseball fan all my life. Grew up with family tickets to see the Angels, seen many a Red Sox game and their farm team, the Pawtucket Red Sox. Never played softball myself, but my 14 yo son plays baseball and I love being his throwing partner!

What do you like most about Girls on the Run?
I am grateful to be part of a team that helps young girls develop their confidence, grow their character, become more compassionate and caring, and to have an impact on our next generation of women leaders.

Please describe Girls on the Run and what they do for the Durham community.
Girls on the Run of the Triangle is a nonprofit, physical activity-based, positive youth development program for girls in Durham County in 3rd through 8th grades designed to develop and enhance girls’ social, psychological, and physical competencies to successfully navigate life experiences. Our mission is to create a world full of joyful, healthy, and confident girls acting on their values and opportunities. As the name implies, running is a part of the program, but our primary focus is empowerment. Our experience-based curriculum is designed to help girls across the Triangle activate their limitless potential.

What is a specific project/initiative will a contribution from Durham Softball help?
Proceeds from the softball league will go toward our Annual Scholarship Fund. Since our inception in 2000, we have served over 17,000 girls throughout Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties. One in three girls receives scholarship assistance, and in 2018 we will award $115,000 in scholarship funds. It is our priority to ensure that no girl is ever denied the opportunity to participate in one of our programs, regardless of her family’s ability to pay.

Why did Girls on the Run want to join the Durham Softball League?
We seek ways to collaborate with other nonprofits to grow our programs and expand our reach. To us, this is a fun way to meet other nonprofit leaders, learn what issues their work is addressing, and find ways to partner.

What would Girls on the Run do with a $200 donation from Durham Softball? What would they do with a $1000 donation?
The cost of our program is $205 per girl. All funds go directly to our Annual Scholarship Fund, so a donation of $200 would fund one scholarship. A donation of $1,000 would fund (5) scholarships.

Other than your own team, what other non-profit in the Durham Softball League would you want to win the championship? Why?
Preferred not to make a selection

Featured Week Donation Item: Colored Makers/Pencils!

We want people to know that Girls on the Run is not a running program. GOTR is a character-development and empowerment program for girls in elementary and middle school that gives girls the tools and resources to make good choices and life a life of joy, health and confidence. The program includes projects for the girls to complete that require items like colored markers and pencils, so we can help Girls on the Run by helping cover the cost of these supplies. Any new, unused box of colored markers, or any new or lightly used box of colored pencils, will be accepted.

During one week of the 2018 season, Durham Softball players will have the chance to donate COLORED MARKERS OR PENCILS to Girls on the Run of the Triangle. The team that combines to bring the most colored markers/pencils will earn a bonus donation for their team’s sponsor! You’ll earn a point per marker/pencil, rather than per box, and donations will be accepted at the field until the last out of the last game each week.

Thanks for your support!

Captain’s Interview: STEM in the Park

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Before our inaugural Durham Softball season, we asked our team captains to answer some questions about their organizations so we can help educate our players on their cause and why their work is important for the Durham community. These are their answers!

STEM in the Park

Co-Captain’s Name:
Sarah Windsor

Job / Title with Non-Profit:
Director

Personal Background:
I’m am from the area originally, having gone to NCSU for undergrad and UNC for graduate school. Because I’m from here, I am passionate about lifting up under-served students of the area towards interests and careers in the STEM field. My background as a microbiologist lends itself to cool and gross stories about bacteria!

What is your softball experience level?
Minor league for sure. Sitting this season out because our first kid is due in May!

What does you like most about STEM in the Park?
The mission of STEM in the Park is close to my heart as a local product of Wake and Durham County public schools, two local public universities and as a STEM professional myself.

Please describe STEM in the Park and what they do for the Durham community.
The mission of STEM in the Park is to give students, who are traditionally underserved in the STEM workforce, exposure to STEM activities and mentoring with local STEM professionals. In addition, we aim to develop an effective pipeline of exposure and knowledge of real world STEM applications to educators, as well as equip STEM companies and higher education institutions with tools to establish and grow their own outreach events.

In 2017 alone, we served 209 students and 44 educators with programming through our STEM Expos and Educator Externtrips. Since 2014, we have established over 220 community partnerships, served 6,226 students across NC and engaged 1,467 volunteers in over 13,000 hours of service.

What is a specific project/initiative will a contribution from Durham Softball help?
Contributions from Durham softball will help us extend our services to local teachers to include not only more Educator Externtrips (STEM immersion field trips to local STEM companies) but invest in an educator mentoring program with those same local STEM companies.

Why did STEM in the Park want to join the Durham Softball League?
We love the community of RTP and the region! This is chance to have some fun, sweat a little, and contribute towards 10 local organizations that make a positive impact on our city!

What would STEM in the Park do with a $200 donation from Durham Softball? What would they do with a $1000 donation?
A $200 donation will go towards funding local students to attend one of our STEM Expos that happen twice a year! During this event, students interact with local STEM companies through hands-on demonstrations, develop and pitch a STEM product during STEM Tank and can meet and get to know STEM professionals through Speed Mentoring. If you are a STEM professional, looking to get involved in our work, head to our webpage.

A $1000 donation would go towards the establishment of an educator mentoring program through our Educator Externtrips. This would be a time to extend the learnings of a 3 hour experience at a STEM company to longer term meetings with a local STEM employee to transform classroom teaching!

Other than your own team, what other non-profit in the Durham Softball League would you want to win the championship? Why?
We love our musical buddies over at Kidznotes!

Featured Week Donation Item: Brain Food!

Help fill a “STEM in the Park Bag” at our STEM Expos! During each Expo, STEM in the Park gives all students a large bag to collect STEM materials at the event, store business cards of STEM professionals, and take home finished experiments from a fun-filled day of STEM in Research Triangle Park. These bags come pre-filled with essentials the students will need during the day, including snacks. Our goal is to help STEM in the Park fill their student bags with quick, individual-sized portions of various snack foods to feed their students. All individual-sized bags of pretzels, chips, trail mix, goldfish, peanuts, etc. will be accepted.

During one week of the 2018 season, Durham Softball players will have the chance to donate BRAIN FOOD to STEM in the Park. The team that combines to bring the most bags of brain-food-eligible items to give to STEM students will earn a bonus donation for their team’s sponsor! Points will be awarded per bag and donations will be accepted at the field until the last out of the last game each week.

Thanks for your support!

Captain’s Interview: Meals on Wheels of Durham

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Meals on Wheels of Durham

Before our inaugural Durham Softball season, we asked our team captains to answer some questions about their organizations so we can help educate our players on their cause and why their work is important for the Durham community. These are their answers!

Meals on Wheels of Durham

Co-Captain’s Name:
Annette Read & Amia Bullard

Job / Title with Non-Profit:
Community Outreach Director

Personal Background:
Annette Read is the current Community Outreach Director at Meals on Wheels of Durham. She holds a Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development from Pfeiffer University. She is originally from Rochester, New York, and relocated to Durham in 2001 with her husband and son. Prior to Meals on Wheels she was the Vice President of Human Resources at Qualex, Inc. a subsidiary of Eastman Kodak Company and after 30 years of service, retired in the summer of 2011. In her current role, she is responsible for volunteer management, recruiting new volunteers and being out and about in our communities speaking about the Meals on Wheels Program and its mission to enhance the quality of life for seniors, people with disabilities and other citizens in our community who are unable to provide proper nutrition for themselves. She has often used the quote from Confucius that says, “Choose a job that you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” hat’s what she has found at Meals on Wheels.

What is your softball experience level?
I grew up playing softball with kids in my neighborhood every weekend. To this day, it is a very fond memory. I also played in my high school softball league.

What does you like most about Meals on Wheels of Durham?
I love the volunteers that help us daily with packing over 450 meals and delivering 31 routes each weekday throughout Durham County. We couldn’t do it with out them!

Please describe Meals on Wheels of Durham and what they do for the Durham community.
Meals on Wheels of Durham, Inc. is a non-profit agency committed to enhancing the quality of life for eligible home-bound adults in our community. Our mission is to serve the elderly, frail, disabled, convalescing and others who cannot provide proper nutrition for themselves. Dedicated volunteers deliver lunches to our clients each weekday, with the objective of improving the nutritional status and health of these individuals. It is our goal that this combination of nutritious meals and social contact will help our clients to remain independent as long as possible.

What is a specific project/initiative will a contribution from Durham Softball help?
Meals on Wheels of Durham delivers a nutritious meal, a safety check and a smile that serves as a lifeline to seniors of limited mobility. This combination goes well beyond fighting the battle against the hunger that threatens one in six of America’s seniors – it provides the support and peace of mind that enable them to remain safely and securely in their own homes as they continue to age. Enabling seniors to stay in their own homes means they remain happier, extend their independence and can stay connected to the communities and surroundings that provide them comfort. The powerful side effect of this result is that it means seniors can stay out of expensive nursing facilities and hospitals. Contributions from Durham Softball will help to pay for food to feed our senior population. $110 will feed a senior for a month!

Why did Meals on Wheels of Durham want to join the Durham Softball League?
Meals on Wheels Durham likes to partner with other great organizations that are in our community. These partnerships are vital and mutually beneficial. It also allows our volunteers to network and have fun together.

What would Meals on Wheels of Durham do with a $200 donation from Durham Softball? What would they do with a $1000 donation?
Our meals cost $5 so a $200 donation with provide 40 meals to seniors in need and $1000 will allow us to provide 200 meals, which would be AWESOME!

Other than your own team, what other non-profit in the Durham Softball League would you want to win the championship? Why?
We are in great company with the other non-profits in the Durham Softball League. We are honored and proud to participate and will be cheering for everyone.

Featured Week Donation Item: Granola Bars!

Granola Bars are a great way to provide a quick and easy snack for a senior who may have trouble cooking their own meal. Also called Breakfast Bars or Nutrition Bars (eg. Nature Valley, Quaker, Kind, etc.), these bars have a long shelf life and provide lots of nutrition in a simple and easy to eat package.

During one week of the 2018 season, Durham Softball players will have the chance to donate GRANOLA BARS to Meals on Wheels of Durham. The team that combines to bring the most Granola Bars to give to our community’s seniors will earn a bonus donation for their team’s sponsor! Points will be awarded per bar, not per box, and donations will be accepted at the field until the last out of the last game each week. Healthy (especially low-sodium) and “chewy” options, please!

Thanks for your support!

Sponsor Donation Pool

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The basic concept of the Durham Softball sponsor donations is for the teams to compete to earn donations for their sponsor organization. Every sponsor is guaranteed a minimum donation for their participation, but the sponsor will receive a larger donation at the end of the season based on the number of games their team won, where they placed in the standings, and how well they did in the playoffs. Basically, the better the team performs, the more money the team will raise for their sponsored charity.

While the distributions are determined before the season, the actual dollar amount of the donation will vary based on our total player registration. Instead of a flat prize structure, the league will establish a Donation Pool from all additional funds remaining after the league pays its expenses. The size of the Donation Pool will vary based on the number of players, with a larger percentage of each registration fee going towards charity as more players sign up to play softball.

Because we want to help all of the organizations involved with the league, but we also want there to be enough incentive for the players to make league to be competitive, we have divided the distributions into four main categories: Participation, Wins, Regular-Season, and Playoffs.

Durham Softball’s 2019 Spring Donation Structure

This amount is subject to change each season, but the general principle remains the same. The more people we can recruit to play softball, the more we can help these great organizations!