Maine Residents Create Benefit Softball Tournament to Raise Money for Families of the
Lewiston, Maine Shooting Victims

Lewiston, ME – The Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament Board is proud to
announce the first annual Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament on November
11, 2023. Hammond Lumber Company joins as the Presenting Sponsor for the tournament and
has generously donated Lewiston Strong apparel that will be available for purchase at each
field. Proceeds of the event will go toward all families who lost loved ones in the devastating
mass shooting that took place in Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. A 50/50
raffle will also be held in support of those injured.
Two of the victims, Joe Walker and Ron Morin, were staples within the Lewiston/Auburn softball
community. Ron was an umpire with the Maine Amateur Softball Association and Joe was a
loved teammate to many. “Our Board is made up of members of our local softball community,”
said Tony Gowell, USA Softball of Maine State Commissioner. “We are a tight knit group. Joe
and Ron were family. This is our way of remembering the amazing men we knew while honoring
the many lives lost.”
The coed tournament will feature 25 teams spread out between Randall Road Ball Fields
(Lewiston) and Pettingill Park Baseball Fields (Auburn), and will include food trucks, raffles,
silent auctions, 50/50, apparel available for purchase and mascot appearances from the Maine
Celtics and Portland Sea Dogs. Games will begin at 7:30am with closing ceremonies taking
place at Pettingill Park (lower fields) at 8:30pm. Tournament rules, team bracket information and
live viewing can be found on the The Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament
website.
Board member Derek Haskell described how amazing it has been to watch the city of Lewiston
come together in the wake of an unexpected and horrific event. “Our community faced an
unthinkable tragedy,” Haskell said. “It’s a hard thing to wrap your head around. Yet, we have
seen an outpouring of support from people near and far. That’s the magic of Lewiston. Despite
all of the hurt, people are raising their hands and asking what they can do. It’s been a week
since we decided to create this tournament and it has grown exponentially. We have a waitlist
for teams, daily emails and calls about volunteer efforts and an outpouring of donations for raffle
and silent auction items.”
Food trucks onsite will include Benchwarmerz (Pettingill Park), The Pit Crew Catering (Pettingill
Park), L/A Taco (Randall Road), Pinky D’s (Randall Road) and Tripp’s Farmhouse Cafe (Randall
Road). The raffle and silent auction will be a three day event taking place at the Auburn Senior
Community Center (located in the Pettingill Park plaza) on Friday (online only), Saturday (8am –
7pm) and Sunday from (8am-3pm). Items available will include signed sports memorabilia,
experiences, membership packages, numerous products and services and more.
The public and press are encouraged to attend to support and cheer teams on. Additional event
details and updates can be found on the Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament
website or social media pages (Instagram: @LewistonStrongSoftball and Facebook: Lewiston
Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament).
In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Sunday, November 12.
For all media inquires (including those that wish to be onsite day of), please contact:
● Abby Cote, Board Member
● Email: LewStrongMedia@gmail.com
For interest in donating items for the raffle/silent auction, please contact:
● Zach Timmermeyer, Board Member
● Email: LewistonStrongDonations@gmail.com
For general event questions and ways to get involved, please contact:
● Chase Cote, Board Member
● Email: LewStrongInfo@gmail.com
About The Lewiston Strong Memorial Benefit Softball Tournament
This event was created in light of the tragic events that took place in Lewiston, ME on October
25th, 2023. Our mission is to highlight the strong sense of community that exists within the
Lewiston/Auburn area, while also creating a space to honor the lives lost and raise funds for the
victims’ families. In partnership with the The Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of
Commerce Foundation, all proceeds from the event will go toward supporting these families.
This fundraiser will be hosted annually in memory of the friends, family and community
members lost that day, as well as remind us that we are and will always be #LewistonStrong.
About Hammond Lumber Company
Hammond Lumber Company was founded in 1953 by Skip and Verna Hammond with a single
sawmill in Belgrade, Maine. Today, the fourth-generation, family-owned is one of the largest
independent lumber and building material retailers in the northeast with over 900 employees
and 22 locations across Maine and New Hampshire. Hammond Lumber Company carries a full
line of building materials, millwork, kitchen, bath and flooring products, and is a quality
manufacturer of eastern white pine. Hammond has multiple Kitchen, Bath & Flooring Design
Centers and showrooms, Home Planning Design Centers, and millwork showrooms across the
State. Hammond is the 17th largest pro dealer and lumberyard in the nation by 2022 sales
according to the LBM Journal 100. The building material supply company has received
numerous awards, including 2020 ProSales Dealer of the Year, Best Places to Work in Maine in
2021, 2022, and 2023, Best Company to Work For in New Hampshire in 2023, National Safety
Council’s 2023 Occupational Excellence Achievement Award and 2023 Industry Leader Award,
and NeLMA’s 2023 Outstanding Safety Performance Award. Learn more at
www.hammondlumber.com