Last weekend the Callaway ballpark came to life as the Callaway Community Foundation Board came up with a unique and fun idea to help raise funds for the new swimming pool. Four teams “competed” in a tournament of mushball, and co-organizer and Foundation President Corby Leeper explains just what that is.

“Mushball is pretty popular, just not where we live. Foundation member Henry Moore grew up in California and they do mushball tournaments out there, so he suggested the idea. It is basically just slow-pitch softball with 10 players on the field. The only difference is the ball itself is 16 inches in diameter, so it’s larger than a softball, and the more you hit it the softer it gets,” said Leeper.

Leeper said they put their own spin on the game by having teams pitch to themselves and limiting to three pitches per batter. The tournament was co-ed with each team making a $200 donation as their entry fee. Teams were limited to 13 players and had to be over the age of 16 to participate in the double-elimination tournament. Moore and Leeper both pulled together teams, there was a team of high school kids of Callaway, Arnold and Sumner, and a team from Bar W in Gothenburg.

A free-will donation meal of burgers and hot dogs was also available at the ballpark on Saturday. Leeper said most of the food was donated.

The championship game featured Henry’s Bar v the high school team, with the high school kids walking away with the championship title.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Leeper. “The Village did a great job of getting the field ready for us. So many people have called me or talked to me on the street about how nice it was to see people back on the field. The biggest thing from this weekend though was just getting more exposure for the pool project. Having a really nice park and a great pool is huge for bringing young families in and keeping them.”