SPOKANE, Wash. — Today was a special day at Avista Stadium as the Fairchild Tankers softball team joined forces with the Spokane Pacers Special Olympics team for a charity softball game.
The team from Fairchild Air Force Base is made up of active duty military as well as contract employees. The Spokane Pacers consists mainly of students in Spokane Community College’s PACE program.
Specially designed yellow jerseys were worn by one team today and those jerseys are being sold online to benefit the Washington Special Olympics program.
"You can purchase the jerseys online, 15 dollars goes to the Special Olympics. We are happy to be involved in that contribution," Tankers head coach Nate Mack said.
"The donations are really going to allow them to travel more and travel further. They can pay for jerseys, equipment, things like that. Because it is a nonprofit, anything that we can raise and help out, it helps all of the Washington Speical Olympics teams," event organizer Caitlin Davis said.
As for the game, there was no containing the sheer multitude of smiles on the field at Avista Stadium today.
"We just had a great time. It was a great game and we could not stop smiling from ear to ear," Mack said.
"Everybody had fun. The win today was pretty great because all of the parents, teachers, family members and coordinators came out to watch us. They did not have to, but it was really good," Scott, a pitcher for the Pacers said.
Mack and Davis hope today's event becomes an annual tradition.
