Join us for the first annual Tim Cantu MemoriaLL SoftbaLL Game on August 27

Last November, we lost a beloved and invaluable member of our staff and the LL community in Tim Cantu. If you haven’t read it yet or have blacked it out, I implore you to go read or re-read Isabelle’s eulogy and LL highlight reel of Tim because it will bring you to your knees. Tim’s death at the young age of 32, caused by an aggressive form of oral cancer, is a loss his family and his community will never fully recover from, but we will continue to honor him and learn from his example on how to live a full, loving, and inspiring life.

I think about Tim often, but usually in ways that take me by surprise. Like yesterday when I was cleaning out the filter in our dishwasher because Tim had walked me through doing the installation myself during the early months of the pandemic. Or, anytime I find a great deal at Costco because we were always sharing notes on good deals for bulk food items for our expanding families. Tim was a huge believer in both Julio Rodríguez and Jarred Kelenic. Whenever either player does something worth celebrating this season, I simultaneously bemoan the fact Tim isn’t here to see his faith rewarded while remaining hopeful that somehow, in some way, he knows and he’s hooting and hollering right there with us.

Before the pandemic, LL typically hosted one or two softball games each summer in which a bunch of internet friends and strangers would meet up in real life and play some pretty-terrible-yet-extremely-fun softball for a couple hours. Now that outdoor activities are back in full-swing and most folks seem comfortable enough with it again, we’re bringing softbaLL back and we’re doing it in honor of Tim. Behold, the first annual Tim Cantu MemoriaLL Softball Game!

Saturday, August 27, is right smack in the middle of a big weekend for baseball in Seattle, with the Mariners rolling out the red carpet for Ichiro as they celebrate his career and induct him into the Mariners Hall of Fame. Tim was a massive Ichiro fan, so it’s perfect timing to honor our own LLegend. Just a couple of GOATs, getting their roses on the same weekend. I love it.

Details!
August 27, 2022
10 AM - Noon(ish)

Meadowbrook Playfield - Ballfield 01
10533 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125
(It’s in the Lake City area in North Seattle, right next to Nathan Hale High School)

COVID-19 Safety Note:
If you’re feeling sick or symptomatic, please stay home. If you are more comfortable wearing a mask around crowds of people, we certainly encourage it (and won’t judge you!) but it won’t be required.

Cost
$5-10 per person. Please pay via Venmo (@eric-sanford-1) or Paypal (sanford dot eric at gmail dot com) or bring cash (the field rental fee is $120, so I will donate any overages to one of Tim’s designated charities). UPDATE: No cost! The fee has been covered so if you’re inclined, you can give to the charities below.

Tim’s Favorite Charities

This part is completely optional, but I asked Tim’s wife what we could do if people wanted to make donations of some kind in Tim’s memory if they didn’t get a chance to do so when he passed. She suggested three of Tim’s favorite non profit charities that he was a big fan of supporting during his life. So, if you are inclined, you are very welcome to make a gift in Tim’s memory to any of these organizations:

The Okaja Foundation - Supports a home for orphans and impoverished children in Nigeria. From Tim’s wife: “We knew the husband of the founder from college, and Muji has become a long-distance dear friend over the past few years. Tim loved to support their mission, and they are naming their new playground and athletic field in his memory.”

3W Medical for Women - Provides free and low-cost women’s reproductive health services here in Washington.

The Coffee Oasis - Located in downtown Bremerton, the Coffee Oasis provides resources to homeless and at-risk youth.

We hope to see lots of LLers on August 27! Let us know if you have any questions in the comments. Be kind, be like Tim, and go Mariners.