A tournament with a good heart

The smell of hot dogs and spicy sausages grilling on barbecues along with the sound of softballs booming off aluminum bats will emanate through three Kirkland parks this weekend.

Players on mixed, men’s open and men’s over-35 teams along with children and friends laughing and playing on the sidelines will generally have a good time. However, deep down, each and every participant of this weekend’s 20th annual Sian Bradwell Softball Tournament, which begins on Friday and wraps up on Sunday afternoon, know winning and the thrill of competition will be secondary.

Of primary importance will be the sick children lying in beds suffering from cancer at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. They will be the benefactors.

Money to be raised from the event will go towards buying equipment used for cancer-saving treatments, including cardiac monitors and digital weighing scales for infants and young adults. The Sian Bradwell Fund leaves it up to the oncology department of the Montreal Children’s to come up with a priority.

Sharon Bradwell, a former West Island resident, started the foundation along with husband Ken after their daughter Sian died from a rare form of cancer in 1986 at only 17 months old.

Games take place at Meades Park, Holleffeur Park and Parc des Bénévoles. One of the highlights of the tournament will be a silent auction of prizes on Sunday at Meades Park at about 2 p.m. and will be open to all.

The Sian Bradwell Fund was established in 1990, and is run entirely by volunteers. All money raised this weekend from food sales, the silent auction, and donations will go towards the fund, which so far has turned over approximately $750,000 to the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

For more information on the tournament and the Sian Bradwell Fund, go to www.sianbradwell.com or call Neil Semenchuk at 514-630-2703.