Overwhelming public support and commitment of hundreds from New York tri state area made the 3rd annual Bevin Foundation charity softball tournament a very successful event at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County, New York. 85 players in 6 teams played to mark their tribute to support Bevin Kalathil Varughese foundations health care charity. Helping the Leukemia patients and poor at home and abroad became a hall mark of Bevin Foundation ever since it was
founded.

The softball teams who played to raise fund for healthcare and education are: Herrick’s Zoolanders, Bad News Bears, Team Tical, Team NYU, Dashoom and the defending champions from 2009 and 2010, The Soldiers. The day long games begun with an honorary pitch by Hon. Joseph J. Galante, the Assistant Comptroller of Strategic Planning in the office of New York state Comptroller’s office. The game took another high with the support and presents of Mr. P C Vishnunath, Member of Legislative Assembly of Chenganoor, and Rev. Biju Simon Achen who is the Youth Chaplain of the Mar Thoma Church in Long Island. For the past three years, Stan Thomas of Parayil and Mann Dealer Services has been a grand sponsor and Rajan Dogra of Subway has been a sponsor of the BKV Softball Tournament providing lunch for all the players.

Each year, the proceeds from the softball tournament are donated to an individual who is battling leukemia and needs financial support for treatment costs. In 2009, proceeds went to a 6 year old girl in Sion, India named, Thirtha Shetty who has responded well to her treatment for leukemia. In 2010, proceeds went to a young female, Anita Seth from Mumbai, India who relapsed with leukemia at the age of 30 after achieving remission for seven years. Foundations last communication with her states that she has responded well to her bone marrow transplant. The proceeds from year 2011 tournament will be donated to a young male, Arun Mathew who was diagnosed at 24 years with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia from Kerala, India, said Mr. Kalathil Varughese, chairman of the BKV Foundation in New York. Arun Mathew has recently relapsed after having a bone marrow transplant in 2009 and Arun’s family has contacted the foundation for financial assistance to provide continued care and treatment.

For those diagnosed with leukemia by stressing the importance of registering with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), now called ‘Be The Match’, to provide outreach and comfort to those diagnosed with leukemia and their loved ones; to assist patients financially who cannot afford their cost of treatment; to support research so that one day every patient will survive and lead a long and healthy life.

It was a spectacular day at Eisenhower Park filled with fun, food and quite a competition. Spectators came with their families to cheer on the players and show their support to BKV Foundations crusade in helping the research and treatment for Leukemia among South Asians. In the end, it came down to the Bad News Bears and Dashoom with Bad News Bears winning the 2011 BKV Foundation Softball tournament in New York.