First Annual Betty Brown Benefit Softball Tourney/BBQ set Oct. 2 in Bonham

The First Annual Betty Brown Benefit Softball Tournament/BBQ has been set for October 2 at Bonham High School. Co-ed teams will compete under USSSA rules and the procedes will go to help Betty Brown and her family pay medical bills from a four-year battle with cancer.

Betty and her husband, Harold Brown, are both graduates of Dodd City High School. They have been married 45 years and have two children, Amye Brown, who was an avid athlete for Dodd City ISD and SOSU and now works for the City Of Bonham and Hal Brown, who was a Baptist preacher for many years and now works for TAPS in Sherman.

The couple share seven grandchildren: Layton "Butter" Vaught, Paizley Vaught, Khylee McCommas, Jamye Brown, Jonathan Brown, Hallie Brown and Caleb Brown.

Betty was an assistant manager at Wal-Mart for eight years in the 80s and Harold worked at General Cable for 38 years. He now works at O’Reilly Auto Parts.

The Benefit/Softball tourney is being coordinated by Amye Brown and Destiny Hopkins.

Amye and Destiny have arranged for a BBQ set-up as well and the Hooters girls from the McKinney location coming to serve Hot Wings during the event. The girls are excited about coming to our small community for such a great cause! The Hooters girls will be serving Hot Wings during the tourney.

"I am hoping to raise enough money to take Mom to M.D. Anderson in Houston to make her battle a more comfortable one," says Amye. "The disease has completely disabled her and she suffers on a daily basis. I just want to keep my mom as long as I can and keep her as comfortable as I can."

Betty was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2006. With 655,000 deaths worldwide per year, it is the fourth most common form of cancer in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. She had major surgery and removed almost 3 feet of her colon. After a long battle with chemotherapy, she defeated it. Betty remained under close scrutiny with scans every six months. In 2009, she was diagnosed with pulmonary metastases in colorectal cancer. Metastases are tumors that have spread from somewhere else. For example, colon cancer spread to her lungs. When that occurs, instead of calling it "lung cancer resulting from colon cancer," doctors refer to it as "lung metastasis." With this condition, it becomes inoperable as well as incurable. This condition has totally disabled her and is slowly draining the life from her.

Betty remains on chemotherapy for merely ‘quality of life.’ With her faith, family and friends she pushes through each day with a smile on her face. This benefit is a chance for us, as a community, to come together and show how, even as a small rural community, we can make a difference in someone’s life. With her pride, she would never show a need or want for anything. but with the staggering costs accumulated during this four-year battle cancer for four years, this is an opportunity to help.

To make this event successful, softball teams from across North Texas are encouraged to come participate in this worthy cause. The deadline to enter the First Annual Betty Brown Benefit Softball Tournament is Sept. 30.

To register a team or make a donation contact Amye at (903) 640-3938 or Destiny at (903) 624-4149.

You can also make donations at Fannin Federal Credit Union in lieu of The Betty Brown Benefit.

WHERE: BONHAM HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL FIELD ON 121
WHEN: OCT. 2, 2010 (Deadline for tourney entry is Sept. 30)

TOURNAMENT RULES
Co-ed Teams - $200 entry fee
USSSA Rules will apply
$5 Buy-In Homeruns (before each game)
3 Game Guarantee
Tourney will begin at 8am
First Place T-Shirts

BBQ
BBQ plate includes
Brisket Sandwich, Chips, Drink & Dessert - $5
BBQ Sandwich - $3
Drinks - $1
*Other concession items will be available