Healthcare workers with Carilion Clinic and LewisGale Regional Health System met not at a hospital, but on the baseball diamond on Thursday evening to play in the American Heart Association Annual Softball Charity game.
The game has been played for over 10 years and has only recently moved to Salem Memorial Ballpark.
In all the years the game has been played, it has only continued to grow bigger and bigger.
“We’re really pleased to be at the Red Sox field, and our attendance has grown over the years, and our life-saving funds that we have raised have grown over the years,” Elizabeth Vial, Senior Development Director, American Heart Association, said. “The community really looks forward to coming out. Really the whole medical community coming together for a common goal of fighting heart disease and stroke.”
The goal remains the same: two teams, one representing Carilion and the other representing LewisGale, take part in a full softball game to help raise money for the American Heart Association.
Money raised goes towards local education programs as well as lifesaving research.
The American Heart Association also provides valuable assistance to both medical facilities.
“From research to education to equipment for the community, they do a lot of our training when it comes CPR and ACLS,” Kristy Myers, and operations manager at Carilion, said. “They provide a lot of the equipment we use.”
Not only does the softball game raise money for a good cause, but it also helps the team bond while honoring their chosen profession.
“I think the healthcare industry is the best industry in the world, LewisGale CEO Collin McLaughlin said. ”We have an opportunity to make a big impact each and every day that we are in the hospital, so being able to celebrate that with our team is a big deal.”