On May 9th, Escanaba High School hosted the 3RD Annual “Candy Swetkis SISU Strikefest” Memorial Softball Tournament. The Gladstone Braves captured first place with Escanaba coming in second.

The SISU Strikefest is not only a quality tournament, but it’s also a fundraiser for the Escanaba Girls’ Softball Program and the Candy Swetkis Memorial Endowment. As a proud, long-time Escanaba Junior High Science teacher, Candy wanted a scholarship to be awarded annually to an Escanaba senior who wanted to become a teacher. Her endowment, held by the Community Foundation for Delta County, was created to do just that and the third Candy Swetkis Teaching Scholarship was awarded to Gracelynn Schafer last week! Candy’s fund has also paid for the construction of three bullpens at the Lemerand Softball Complex.

This year’s SISU Strikefest Tournament raised a record $8700, and the tournament planning committee presented one-half of the proceeds to the girls at Parent’s Night. Shown here is the Swetkis SISU Strikefest planning committee (made up of Tara Braun, Kristin Bowden, Brenda Madden, Lorrie Botruff, Thea Jacobsen, Emily Noblet, Peggy Coolman and Anne Okonek). Accepting the check is Head Coach Andy Fields and the seven graduating seniors – Chloe Dubord, Mary Kate Tourangeau, Breleigh Reinhart, Landry Bray, Addison Noblet, Cam Buckley and Manager Ella Johnson.

The planning committee wants to thank everyone who supported the Candy Swetkis SISU Strikefest tournament!