ALTON - Community members can support rescue dogs at an upcoming “woofleball” tournament.
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On Sept. 6, 2025, the Helping Handlers organization will host a wiffleball tournament to benefit Hope Animal Rescues, complete with a silent auction, raffle and more fun. As an organization, Helping Handlers works to support local nonprofits through events like the tournament, and organizers hope many people will come out to enjoy the day and compete against White Sox star Mark Buehrle.
“We’re just trying to continue to be helpful to the community, particularly the animal world,” said Lexy Dona, one of the founders of Helping Handlers. “We basically wanted to be the party planners. We wanted to create these events and pick somebody that gets to get this money. It’s even more imperative now.”
The 16-team wiffleball tournament will allow every team to play at least three games. The teams are made up of four members. The first pitch is at 10 a.m., and the tournament continues until around 4 p.m.
Unlike baseball, wiffleball doesn’t require any running. The batter will hit a target, which determines their base. Dona assured the community that anyone can play, and it’s a lot of fun.
“It can get complicated because people think it’s like baseball where there’s nine men and people are running and stuff like that. It's not quite like that,” she explained. “If we have people that want to come watch it or people that want to be a part of it, we have videos and tutorials of how to play the game. Doesn’t require any background experience whatsoever.”
The goal is to support Hope Animal Rescues, a Riverbend shelter that rescues dogs the day they are to be euthanized and cares for them until they find homes. Most of the people on the Helping Handlers Board have adopted dogs through Hope, and Dona said their mission hits “really close to home.”
“It seems like, as time goes on, things are harder and harder and harder for everybody, animals and people,” she said. “There’s a huge surrender rate right now as the cost of living rises and there are cuts everywhere within the county, the state and nationally, and people are finding it hard to take care of their animals. So therefore we see a lot more out there and available. There just are not enough homes for them all.”
The money raised through the woofleball tournament will go toward dog food, veterinary care, and other needs for Hope Animal Rescues. There will also be a silent auction and raffle throughout the day, with items like MLB jerseys and cards, Cardinals tickets, Blues tickets, and more. All proceeds will go toward the dogs’ care.
Dona also noted that former White Sox player Mark Buehrle will be competing in the tournament. Buehrle and his wife, Jamie, donated the money that made Hope Animal Rescues possible in 2005. Buehrle’s team won in last year’s tournament, but Dona encourages anyone who is up to the challenge to go toe-to-toe against him.
“There are a lot of people that are putting teams together because they want to play against an MLB star, which is awesome,” she laughed.
Dona thanked the sponsors and businesses who have donated so far, including Sackett Law and Schulte Supply. She noted that Helping Handlers is still looking for silent auction items, raffle items, and sponsors to raise as much money as possible for Hope Animal Rescues.
Last year, Hope received $15,000 as a result of this event. Dona hopes they can exceed this goal in 2025 to help Hope rescue even more dogs.
“Even if you don’t play, if you just want to come out and watch for a while and just watch people have fun, that’s what we hope for and we can make some money to help out,” she added. “We’re about a month out and we’re ready to rock and roll.”
For more information about the Second Annual Woofleball Tournament for Hope Animal Rescues, including how to sign up your team or how to donate, visit the official Facebook event page.
