With last year's success of the May Madness Charity Pool for the Bergen County Softball Tournament, we're doing it again and this year and hoping to increase the participation and fundraising. 

In 2009, the event raised money for the college fund in the name of one of the Bergen County softball community's finest men, coach, devoted father of Northern Highlands' pitcher Amanda Blake and softball nut Mike Blake, who passed away in the fall of 2008. 

In 2010, similarly, the money raised will honor another great "father" of Bergen County softball who passed away on February 18 - just before the start of the 2010 season - revered pitching instructor John Gurgich.  John's ties to the Bergen County softball community were long and deep, as the Pitching Center that he established and ran with his daughter Laura (who continues to run it) was the place of instruction and development for, among many others, these girls participating in the 2010 tournament:  Katie Enright (Indian Hills), Nicole Hroncich and Marisa Gorman (Ridgewood), Rachel Cannata (Paramus Catholic), Alicia Daniele (IHA), Tori and Lauren Feorenzo (Paramus), Jordan Zimmerman (Glen Rock), Jesse Shevins (Tenafly), Tori Sobel (Ramapo) and Sam Weyant (Midland Park).

John's wife Joy has established the John Gurgich Scholarship Fund to award scholarships in John's name to high school pitchers in need of financial support to continue onto college.

Everyone who participates in the May Madness Charity Pool can contribute a small amount ($20) to a worthy cause, enjoy the community camaraderie and get closer to stories that unfold in the girls' softball tournament, and the "winner" receives bragging rights within the softball community.

Please forward this to anyone who you think may be interested.  We're hoping to get some level of participation from as many Bergen County towns as possible.

Enjoy!