WASHINGTON – Donations have poured in for Wednesday night’s Congressional Women’s Softball Game in the wake of last week’s shooting on the eve of the Congressional Baseball Game.
This is the ninth year for the women’s event and this year the game is expected to raise more money than ever before.
“We are thrilled that we are going to set records,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat.
Last year’s game raised more than $200,000 for the Young Survival Coalition, a group focused on helping women diagnosed with breast cancer. With the money from this year’s game, the event has raised more than $1 million over the past nine years.
“The opportunity to go to bat, quite literally, to help young women who are dealing with breast cancer is something that unites us all,” Shultz said.
“We’re fighting to end breast cancer and we’re fighting to raise awareness for young survivors,” added Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York. “It makes a difference.”
The game is hosted by Watkins Recreation Center in Southeast D.C. and features female members of the media playing female members of Congress from both parties.
“It raises money for a great cause,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia. “It also shows the great bipartisanship that the women share.”
As always, there will be a security presence but it could be heavier than normal following the shooting at a Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. That shooting left Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise with severe injuries, his condition was upgraded to fair on Wednesday.
“The Congressional Women’s Softball Game has always taken the security of our players, staff and fans very seriously,” said Atalie Ebersole, the president of the event. “We have worked closely with the U.S. Capitol Police since the game began in 2009, and we will continue to work with the U.S. Capitol Police and the D.C. Metropolitan Police to ensure the safety of everyone involved with (Wednesday’s) game.”
U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki said the agency “constantly maintains a level of security necessary to balance openness with public safety” and works with its law enforcement partners to “provide the level of security required to protect the Capitol Complex, Members of Congress, staff, and the visiting public.”
