Kickball tournament raises money and awareness for pediatric cancer

February 21, 2016

5:54 PM

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Frank Couch Vestavia Voice

Andrew Tunnell with team Ball Kickers dives for a fly ball. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Team members of Saved By The Ball cheer on their team mates. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Wilson Rowlen with team Oak Mountain Ballers kicks a ball. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Frank Couch Vestavia Voice

The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Splash Brothers team mates cheer on a runner. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Frank Couch Vestavia Voice

Amelia Powell with team Green Machine reaches for a ball trying to force a runner out headed to 2nd base. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Frank Couch Vestavia Voice

Julia Kate Williams with Team Saved By The Ball looks to throw out a runner going home. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Mary Elizabeth Harris playing with team Saved By the Ball goes for a ground ball. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Team members from Saved By The Ball try to haul in a fly ball. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Team members from Splash Brothers go for a ball. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Frank Couch Vestavia Voice

Elizabeth Gannon with team Green Machine makes a play on a ground ball. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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Elizabeth Gannon with team Green Machine tries to get a runner out headed home. The 1st Annual Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament held at Vestavia Central School held Saturday February 20, 2016 in Vestavia Hilld, Alabama. The tournament had over 200 participants and consisted of 17 teams ranging from 2nd grade to adult co-ed teams. Photo by Frank Couch

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The Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament had more than 200 participants and 17 teams participating in its inaugural event. The tournament was put on by aTeam Ministries and Vestavia Elementary Central teacher John Brown.

Teams ranging from second graders to adult co-eds showed up to Vestavia Hills Elementary Central on Saturday, Feb. 20 to compete in age brackets for bragging rights of kickball champions and for pizza.

Vestavia Central physical education teacher John Brown has been organizing fundraisers to benefit pediatric cancer related causes for 12 years. Brown's friend Tucker Beam was diagnosed with pediatric cancer and lost his battle when he was 9 years old, and Brown said he has since challenged students at Central to raise money. Several times, Brown has agreed to sleep on the roof of the school if they meet a goal and will wake up the next morning and wave to students from the roof.

Brown said he was approached by Andy and Jan Thrower, founders of aTeam Ministries, with the idea of hosting a kickball tournament that would help their ministry reach out to families dealing with a pediatric cancer diagnosis and treatment.

“It has exceeded our expectations for the first year,” said Brown as he looked over three games being played. “People have really come out of the woodwork to participate."

The Throwers came face to face with pediatric cancer when their son Anderson was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) when he was 18 months old. Anderson is now a second grader at Central and has been cancer free after undergoing about two years of treatment.

Andy Thrower said the ministry has helped 260 families since its founding in 2009.

“We try to focus on the practical side of things for families dealing with a pediatric cancer diagnosis,” he said.

He said families travel from across the state for treatment at Children’s of Alabama and often parents put their lives on hold to help their children fight cancer.

“We have three areas we want to impact families emotionally, spiritually and financially,” he said.

aTeam ministries has two apartments in the Homewood area, which are provided rent free to families who are traveling great distances for treatments.

Learn more about aTeam Ministries at their website.