A softball tournament held in memory of a longtime Crescent Beach resident is to hit the diamonds at Softball City this weekend.
Organizers of the Scotiabank third annual Rick Bracey Memorial Slo-Pitch Tournament for VHL hope the June 15 effort will raise $30,000 this year – money that will help families and physicians dealing with von Hippel-Landau syndrome.
Bracey succumbed to VHL in the summer of 2010, after a nine-year battle. It is a rare, genetic disorder that causes abnormal growth of blood vessels, which knot into tumours, some of which are cancerous.
Bracey’s first symptoms of VHL were discovered when he was 17, when tumours developed on his adrenal glands. Following surgery, he was symptom-free for 25 years, until tumours began to develop in his brain, pancreas, bowel and liver.
Funds raised through the tournament will help with development of a national VHL patient registry, to accelerate research and understanding of the disorder.
The tournament raised $11,700 for VHL Family Alliance in its first year, and $25,000 in 2012.
For more information on the event, or to donate to the cause, email 29ertournament@gmail.com