The fifth year of the PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Irvine, Calif. saw top teams and players battling for the chance to be called a National Champion in the various age divisions running from 12U up to 18U Premier.

There was aspect off the field, however, where everyone associated with the PGF Nationals can be called winners and that was in the fund-raising of $30K through the event as player, teams, umpires, PGF and even broadcaster Daron Sutton, who was the analyst for the TV broadcasts of the championship games, chipped in to donate the money to the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

If you were at the games this year, you may have noticed players wearing pink armbands with the Institute logo. These were given to players on teams who raised donations which all went to helping combat cancer.

Today, Patrick Wayne, the son of legendary Hollywood actor John Wayne, and himself an accomplished actor with over 40 films to his credit including nine with his father such as The Alamo and The Green Berets, send out a letter to everyone associated with the games thanking them for their support…

Here’s that letter:

 

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Dear PGF family and friends,

On behalf of the physicians and scientists at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and the Wayne family, please accept my heartfelt appreciation for your generous support of our breast cancer research program.

We are truly honored to be the beneficiary of the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) softball tournaments, and are inspired by your champion spirit as we stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against cancer.

With your support, and the vision of Dan Hay, President and CEO of Premier Girls Fastpitch, PGF raised $30,000 this year to fund life-saving breast cancer research at the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

Because of you, the Institute continues to make medical breakthroughs in the way cancer is detected, diagnosed and treated worldwide.

We are advancing research to identify cancer in a single drop of blood, developing minimally invasive surgical procedures, and ways to harness the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.  We are in this game to not only find a cure for cancer, but to one-day prevent it.

I am touched to see the spirit of philanthropy start at such an early age, and applaud you as young athletes for leading a healthy lifestyle, one of the key ways to reduce the risk of cancer.

From our family to yours, thank you! Congratulations on a successful season!

Warmest regards,

Patrick Wayne
Chairman of the Board of Directors
John Wayne Cancer Institute