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Independence Park, 3945 N. Springfield Ave., on Sept. 20, 2021. Credit: Alex V. Hernandez/Block Club Chicago

IRVING PARK — There’s still time for neighbors to organize friends and family to complete in the Greater Independence Park Neighborhood Association’s kickball tournament next month. 

The event kicks off 11 a.m. Oct. 2 at Independence Park, 3945 N. Springfield Ave. Registration is $30 per person, and each person who signs up will get a T-shirt. Each co-ed team must have a minimum of eight players, and each player must be at least 18 years old.

Proceeds will benefit the association’s efforts to preserve the historical and architectural character of the neighborhood and events like the park’s farmers market.

To register for the tournament, click here. The deadline is Friday.

The single-elimination tournament will have five innings (or 45 minutes) per game, and the organizers are encouraging people of all skill levels to sign up. Neighbors who come watch can enter a 50/50 raffle for prizes donated from local businesses, said Amy Mastroianni, a member of the neighborhood group.

This is the first year the association is hosting a kickball tournament. Due to COVID-19, many of the association’s normal fundraisers were put on hold, and the group had a hard time raising funds over the past year, Mastroianni said. 

“I’ve been wanting to try and get the younger community together and get to know each other. We’ve got a lot of new families who have moved into the neighborhood,” she said. “So the first thing that came to mind was to do a neighborhood kickball tournament, because I’ve always loved doing sports and we could put this together really quickly.”

Businesses interested in donating prizes to the 50/50 raffle and neighbors interested in volunteering as referees should contact Mastroianni at aedemille@yahoo.com or via the association’s Facebook page.

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