LOUISVILLE, Ky. — NFCA members delivered in the fight against cancer, raising nearly $333,000 in support of the Association and its StrikeOut Cancer initiative in 2024-25.
Virginia Wesleyan’s 15th annual StrikeOut Cancer fundraiser, spearheaded by head coach Brandon Elliott, topped all fundraisers and is the ninth time the program has been NCAA Division III’s leader. Held in conjunction with its doubleheader against Shenandoah University, it raised $94,412 in honor of Elliott’s late mother Elaine Sears with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. This year’s fundraiser featured a five dollar admission and provided fun for the whole family with face painting, a silent auction (over 80 items), bounce houses, music, concessions and balloon animals. Since 2009, VWU has raised nearly $350,000 for the American Cancer Society.
The University of Notre Dame and Glory Fastpitch raised $68,000 and $60,000, respectively. The Fighting Irish’s efforts coincided with their 14th annual Strikeout Cancer weekend. They held a silent auction with a trivia night and a home run derby with funds raised going towards the Samantha Hickey Foundation and the Alex Mandarino Foundation. This year, Christiana Braxston and Addy from Fighting Irish Fight for Life threw out the ceremonial first pitches.
Glory Fastpitch founder and president Suzy Willemssen hosted the Glory StrikeOut Cancer Camp, which featured 21 schools in 2025. It’s now seven years running that Glory Fastpitch has topped all travel ball and youth organizations. All net proceeds from the event go to Children’s National Hospital DC and will directly help children in their fight to survive cancer.
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School (Kan.) and Howard Community College hit the five-figure fundraising mark and led their respective categories again. Hosting its 10th annual Pink Out Game, Saint Thomas Aquinas raised funds for a family of an alum, who is currently going through treatment.
The Dragons hosted a fundraiser in which they honored a former HCC employee, who threw out the first pitch, and is now in full remission from Stage IV lung cancer. All proceeds ($14,100) were donated to the charity where he went for his chemo treatment, which he believed saved his life.
Division II’s Molloy University raised $850 and spread awareness on breast cancer during a doubleheader, playing for all loved ones who are fighting, beat or lost the battle to cancer. Park University raised and donated $500 to Jill’s Hope, a local organization that has a softball connection within the Parkville community.
Numerous other schools either raised money or awareness to battle cancer by hosting a single event or by coordinating a season-long campaign. The schools that registered with the NFCA were entitled to a special package of StrikeOut Cancer items, which included NFCA StrikeOut Cancer helmet stickers, tattoos, wristbands and more.
The top fundraisers receive Louisville Slugger bats with the color tailored to their specific cancer fundraiser. The bats were generously donated by Slugger’s parent company, Wilson Sporting Goods, Inc.
Top Fundraisers
NCAA Division I - University of Notre Dame (Kris Ganeff)
NCAA Division II - Molloy University (Susan Cassidy Lyke/Dayna Russo)
NCAA Division III - Virginia Wesleyan University (Brandon Elliott)
NAIA – Park University (Lindsey Derry)
Junior College - Howard Community College (Shannon Riley)
High School - Saint Thomas Aquinas (Keith Hughes)
Travel Ball/Youth - VA Glory (Suzy Willemssen)
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its extensive awards and scholarships program, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from NFCA podcasts to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and a National Convention.
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