October 31, 2024
A decades-long track record of creating powerful impact in the world of youth fastpitch added another chapter this October with Triple Crown Sports’ Ronald McDonald tournament, held over two sessions in greater Houston.
On the field, the event delivered its typical high-value experience for teams seeking out competitive, high-energy game action into a recruiting-friendly setting, as nearly 150 college coaches roamed the grounds looking at potential recruits.
No less important, to be sure, the tournament raised $28,000 to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Houston. In the 32 years this event has taken place, approximately $800,000 has been directed to this critically important organization known world-wide for housing individuals who can live in the area while family members are going through extended medical treatments.
“Ronald McDonald House appreciates this (tournament) so much. We couldn't do the work that we do without organizations like this helping support us,” said Cristina Vetrano, CEO of the Houston-based organization. “So Triple Crown is so important to all of the services we provide to the families. We have 111 bedrooms and provided over 31,000 nights for families to stay last year – we do all of that free of charge.
“In addition to the housing we provide, we provide transportation, meals, social work services and family activities that we do every day. All of that could not happen to provide families with the home away from home when their kiddo is being treated in the medical center, if we didn't have organizations like Triple Crown that were providing funding to us. So it is super important to us, and we appreciate it so much.”
The 2024 event featured 280 teams over the two weekends, representing 20 states and four different countries overall. Tournament organizers send $100 from each team registration to the charity.
“We started Ronald McDonald 32 years ago to develop a charity event to give back to them. The first year, we had five teams and after 2-3 years, we almost shut it down,” said Triple Crown Sports tournament director Jonathan Lampl. “We never donated more than $300. We stuck with it, and now it has developed into one of the major fastpitch events in the country. It has donated almost $800,000 over the years and has been the route for a tremendous number of scholarships to deserving young ladies.”
