Lawmakers promising to crush the other side isn’t anything new, but it was a little different Wednesday night as they came together to play during the Congressional Women’s Softball Game.
It was women in Congress versus female journalists duking it out on the field at the Watkins Recreation Center on Capitol Hill.
This year marked the 13th year for the event, which was started in 2009 by Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who had breast cancer at 41.
The ballgame raises money for the Young Survivor Coalition, which helps women 40 and younger who are battling breast cancer and connects them with resources.
“We wanted to raise awareness for our Capitol Hill community, who is right in the sweet spot, the target audience of our staff and government relations people,” Wasserman Schultz said. “So many young women under 45 years old who think they are invincible and don’t realize that they could get breast cancer and that they need to make sure that they pay attention to their breast health so that they can catch it early like I was fortunate enough to do.”
This year’s game raised over half a million dollars, a record amount.
The press team has won a few games in the past and they topped the congresswomen this year as well.
The first pitch was thrown by Meg Kinnard, an Associated Press political and legal affairs reporter who herself battled an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Just last week, she was found out she was cancer free.
The annual Congressional Softball game is one of the few times members of Congress from different parties get on the same team.
“We are all fighting against cancer,” said Republican Congresswoman Beth van Duyne, of Texas. “When we come out here we are out here for fresh air, for exercise, for teamwork and to get along.”
