HUDSON – It was cold, but not cold enough to curtail kickball.
On Feb. 17, hundreds of community members gathered behind the Elks Lodge in Hudson for the 21st annual Snowflake Festival Charity Kickball Tournament.
The 21 teams — some with creative names like “It’s Not Gonna Kick Itself” and “Ballbarians” — competed in an elaborate bracket to determine the winner. The competition was fierce, but the best part, according to all involved, was raising money to fight cancer. The event aimed to raise over $20,000.
“It’s incredible. It’s nice to have people come out knowing they’re helping out. It could be their families, so it makes my heart full,” said organizer Kim Otte. Otte, alongside her husband Joe “Rooster” Otte, took over running the tournament six years ago.
“[The best part is] raising money for people who need it,” Kim added.
This year, 13-year-old Brianna Briggs was the main beneficiary of the fundraising. Briggs was diagnosed with an aggressive glioma brain tumor, and her mother and father bring her back-and-forth to Boston to receive treatment.
“It’s a good feeling to give someone a check who really needs help,” Joe said.
