GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota baseball team is partnering with the Cope Well Foundation for a special event this Saturday at Kraft Field. The two organizations are teaming together to help bring awareness to the challenges cancer survivors face on a daily basis throughout the Grand Forks Community.
The Fighting Sioux baseball team will be taking on New York Institute of Technology on Saturday at Noon in the first game of a doubleheader. UND will wear commemorative lavender t-shirts during batting practice and both teams will be wearing lavender wrist bands throughout both games.
“We’re excited to be working with the Cope Well Foundation,” UND head coach Jeff Dodson said. “Unfortunately, cancer is something that affects nearly every family in the country and we’re just trying to do our part to assist in their efforts.
“This is a new organization and hopefully Saturday can go a long way in helping Ashley and her group expand their reach to make it easier for people to cope with the challenges related to cancer.”
Cope Well Foundation founder Ashley Johnson and several of the organization’s members will be on site to help promote their mission. The Cope Well Foundation will have a tent set up on the Kraft Field grounds where fans can collect information on what the organization is all about. Johnson and a special member will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to game one.
“As a cancer survivor myself, it was my goal to create a program that would allow survivors to conquer the emotional challenges of their survivorship,” Johnson said. “The success of our foundation is determined by the impact that we have on the lives of our members and Saturday will be a big opportunity for us to share our mission with the Grand Forks Community.”
Game one of Saturday doubleheader’s with NYIT is scheduled for seven innings. Game two will follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one and go nine innings.
– Go Sioux –
