Crime Stoppers a month away

Slots are filling up for next month’s 3rd Annual NMI Crime Stoppers Slow Pitch Softball Tournament, and organizers have offered a little more incentive for teams to hurry with their entries.

Following a meeting of the tournament directors last week, officials announced that there would be an extra $50 added to prizes of the Top 3 teams.

In the 2005 edition of the tournament, only 12 teams will be permitted to compete for the trophy and newly increased $300 prize for first place. The first 12 teams to sign up and pay in full will take part in all of the fun in the sun, and as of dinnertime yesterday, there were already three teams that have thrown their hats into the ring.

The underhanded extravaganza that is the tournament will run through January 7,8,and 9. The teams wishing to take part in the festivities need to sign up soon.

Besides the first place prizes, there will be a trophy and $200 awarded to the first runner-up, a trophy and $150 for the second runner-up, and trophies for the third and fourth runners-up.

All of the fun of tournaments past will be returning, as there will be two homerun derbies—one for the players, on Saturday, Jan. 8, and one for celebrities, on Sunday, Jan. 9. Though no list of the high-profile guests has been released, chances are good that many of the stars from last year’s show will be returning to vie for the $50 prize.

In keeping with recent tradition, the organizers have put together many exciting and valuable raffle prizes. It only takes one ticket to win the raffle, but tickets will be on sale during the games for $1 each. Somebody’s dollar bill will win this year’s grand prize— a pair of roundtrip tickets to Cairns, Australia courtesy of Continental Airlines. Continental also put up the award for the winner of the mini grand prize raffle—one roundtrip ticket to Manila.

The aspiring Barry Bonds types will receive an added incentive to swing for the fences this year, as all entrants of the Home Run Derby will receive 20 tickets for raffle drawing.

To enter the event, simply head over to Car Quest in Chalan Kanoa and fill out the entry and waiver forms, and pay the entry fee. The cost to enter a team in the annual tournament is $250, and the cost to enter the homerun derby is $20 per individual. All checks should be made out to NMI Crime Stoppers.

For further information, please contact Eric David by calling 664-9022, Jim Ripple by calling 235-2302, or Jerry Ayuyu by calling 664-9127.