34th Annual Interstate Church of God Softball Tournament in Roanoke County this weekend
My name is Chad Briscoe and I am a 1991 Northside H.S. graduate. I currently am an athletic director at a high school on the west side of Indianapolis. Each Labor Day Weekend I return home to Roanoke to direct a church softball tournament that has been in existence since 1987 and has been played in the Roanoke Valley since 1980. The Interstate Church of God Softball Tournament. (www.interstatesoftball.com)
The tournament will have over 40 churches from 9 different states travel to Roanoke for Labor Day weekend to play church softball, but more importantly to raise funds for mission work in Paraguay, South America. The tournament annual raises between 20K and 30K to send to assist with churches, schools, a Christian radio station and other ministries and needs throughout the country of Paraguay each year.
We will be playing on ten different fields most of the day Saturday with a church service Saturday evening and all day on Sunday at the Botetourt Sports Complex, Burton Fields in Roanoke County, Huff Lane in Roanoke City and W. Pines in the county. My parents started the tournament to raise funds for my mothers college roommate who went to the mission field with her husband in 1977 to Paraguay. When we moved to Roanoke in 1980 it has continued now for 34 consecutive years. To date this tournament is the oldest and longest consecutively running tournament held in the Roanoke Valley.
My father retired from the ministry and passed the tournament on to me to direct in 2002. I was told that you were the person to pass along the information…we thought it might a small worthy story of some coverage and appreciate you even taking the time to read the information. The tournament will have close to 3 thousand people attend the weekend and provide great economic impact to the valley. The teams pay to play and then raise money at their churches throughout the year to give.
We do have a website: www.interstatesoftball.com and we have videos on youtube at: Interstate Softball which are videos we show each year with updates on Paraguay at our church service.
INTERSTATE CHURCH OF GOD SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
2012 Participating Teams
“Softball For a Reason”
ALABAMA
Bessemer – First
Falkville – Fairview (2)
INDIANA
Indianapolis – Church at the Crossing
Indianapolis – Westlake Community (3)
Mooresville – Life Pointe
New Albany – First Church
KENTUCKY
Clay City – Brush Creek Church
Lexington – Kentucky Church
Morehead – First Church
Morehead – United Churches
Mt. Sterling – First Church (2)
NORTH CAROLINA
Archdale – First Church
Drexel – First Church
Hickory – First Church
Morganton – First Church
OHIO
Ansonia – First Church
Dayton – Salem Church
Franklin – Towne Blvd. (2)
Gallipolis – First Church
Hamilton – First Church
London – London Nazarene
Springfield – HOPE
PENNSYLVANIA
Cambridge Springs – First Church
Ellwood City – First Church
Kittanning – First Church
Punxsutawney – First Church
TENNESSEE
Hermitage – Grace Place
VIRGINIA
Christiansburg – Mission 188
Lynchburg – Timberlake
Lynchburg – Missions Ministry (2)
Roanoke – RC Church
Salem – FCC Life
Wytheville – All Nations Church of God
WEST VIRGINIA
Parkersburg – Liberty Street
2012 Interstate Tournament in Memory of Missionaries Julie & Timmy Kurrle
Paraguay, South America
Submitted by Chad Briscoe
August 30, 2012 - 2:00 PM
Great tournament again this year, the fellowship was awesome and Roanoke Virginia is such a great venue. Although I’m from Sebastian Florida I played with friends from old at the Hope church out of Springfield Ohio. Tournament was so well organized and every year I get the opportunity to met more friends and fellow CHRISTIANS. Thanks again for a great time. Win or lose it’s just such great fun and fellowship. Hope we beat last years totals for the mission work in Paraguay. Awesome job Chad.