Celebrity Ballgame a Local Fund-Raiser

Soap opera stars, TV newscasters, actresses and models will descend on Moorpark College today for a celebrity softball game sponsored by the Rotary Club of Westlake Village Sunrise.

The game, which begins at 1 p.m. at the college baseball diamond, is a fund-raiser for DARE, the Conejo Youth and Employment Services and Child Abuse and Neglect.

A group of male celebrities will face off against the California Diamonds, a women’s team. None of the actresses and models on the California Diamonds are household names, said organizer Randy Strong, but they do have a reputation for softball. “They have never lost a game,” Strong said.

Some community members are paying $200 for a spot on the men’s team. They will share a dugout with “General Hospital” stars Maurice Bernard and Jonathan Jackson, Ryan Francis from “Sisters,” Richard Jackson of “Saved by the Bell” and KCAL sportscaster Gary Cruz and weatherman Carl Bell. Former L.A. Dodger outfielder Jay Johnstone is also playing.

Admission to the fund-raiser is $5. Pizza, peanuts, hamburgers, hot dogs, espresso and other treats will be sold by vendors who will be contributing part of their proceeds.