MISSOULA - MOR4Kids is a non-profit that recognizes the needs of some students and families in the Missoula area have thought of a unique way to raise money for them — kickball.
MOR4Kids is hosting its third annual kickball tournament on May 4, 2023, and each team can raise money for a chance to get ahead in the game.
For every $100 that the team raises for MOR4Kids, they recieve a "steal the base" card to use during the tournament at any time.
“It benefits the player to raise the money, as well as the kids," Kristy Lake, MOR4Kids chair says.
There are 20 teams of ten in the tournament, each representing a different organization in Missoula, from the US Navy to Stockman Bank.
MOR4Kids was created in 2011 by the Missoula Organization of Realtors.
Lake says the idea for the non-profit was created after the housing crash.
“There was really a need after the housing crash with kids and families needing help in lots of different ways, whether that be food or small things like a blanket, a coat, bike helmets," she says. "Just helping the children and the community."
MOR4Kids has three fundraising events each year: the kickball tournament in May, a golf tournament in August, and a winter gala in December.
All the money raised from these events goes right to School Resource Officers.
MOR4Kids helps 30 schools, and this year they were able to give each of them three rounds of donations.
“Each school, or school resource counselor who we usually work with, can decide how they see fit to spend the money on who needs it– they know the needs of each school," Lake says.
On Friday, April 28, they handed out donations to each school from their office in Missoula. They also had several pairs of tennis shoes, donated by Runners Edge.
One counselor from Seeley Lake eagerly grabbed a pair of shoes, explaining how one of her students had been running track in slippers because he did not have the money for new shoes.
MOR4Kids also had winter coats, blankets, and school supplies available for counselors.
People can support MOR4Kids through the kickball tournament by donating to a team or buying a spectator ticket for $35.
Everyone with a ticket is free to come and watch the tournament starting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 4.
Donations can be made here.
