The 7th Annual This Means War 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament & Chinese Auction will be held on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14 at Southington High School at 2482 State Route 534 in Southington, Ohio, to raise money for Alexandria Baker, a mother of two young daughters who was diagnosed in March at age 26 with Stage II breast cancer. Baker, who works as a log auditor at Falcon Transport in Youngstown, began facing financial trouble when she missed weeks of work to recover from her aggressive chemotherapy treatments and surgery. She and her fiancé, Michael Morgan, now worry how they will continue to keep up with their monthly mortgage payments for the home they bought in Warren in 2015, as well how they will support daughters Isabella, 7, and Arianna, 5.
The Chinese Auction will feature more than 100 quality items including a flat-screen TV, Disney World hopper passes, Kalahari Waterpark tickets, a scratch-off Lottery ticket tree, as well as gift certificates to Mahoning Valley area family fun parks, sporting events and popular restaurants. General item tickets are 2 for $1 and specialty item tickets (for items valued at $100 or more) are $1 each. Winners do not need to be present for the 4:15 p.m. drawing. Admission is free.
The double-elimination 3-on-3 basketball tournament will feature up to 50 youth and adult teams competing in age-defined divisions for first-place prizes. Prizes include $300 in cash, $120 in gift cards and trophies, depending on age division. The entry fee is $20 per youth player and $25 per adult player. Prices will increase by $5 per player after Oct. 8. Registration is underway at WarAgainstBreastCancer.webs.com. No game-day registrations will be accepted. Spectators can watch for free.
A half-court shot contest to win free steak for a year from Texas Roadhouse in Niles will be held during the intermission of the basketball tournament. Cost is $5 per shot. All participants will receive a free appetizer coupon.
The family friendly event, which is sponsored by Great Lakes Cheese/Adams Reserve and The Hope Center for Cancer Care, also will feature face-painting and balloon animals by Bubbles-N-Swirls from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and a 50/50 raffle, bake sale and kid friendly activities throughout the day.
The fundraiser, which attracts an average of 350 people primarily from the Mahoning Valley, is organized by This Means War Against Breast Cancer Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed to help breast cancer survivors with their lost wages and out-of-pocket medical expenses related to their diagnosis. The all-volunteer group has raised more than $40,000 for survivors since its inaugural fundraiser in 2011.
For more information about the fundraiser, visit WarAgainstBreastCancer.webs.com.
