Hitting Contest to Aid Bone Marrow Group

Canyon High School girls softball Coach Lance Eddy and his team have stepped up to the plate to honor their “hero” and former teammate Michelle Carew, who died last April of leukemia.

To remember their friend, the daughter of baseball great Rod Carew, the team has hosted the “Home Runs for Heroes” hitting derby, raising $14,000--$1,000 short of their $15,000 goal--to benefit the National Marrow Donor Program.

Finalists in the home run derby contest are girls softball players from Canyon High and El Dorado High School in Placentia, who will face off at 6:10 p.m. Saturday before the Anaheim Angels game at Anaheim Stadium.

“The effort is to create awareness of the need for marrow donors for kids like Michelle,” said Anaheim Councilman Bob Zemel, chairman of the event. “Rod Carew calls these children laying in bed fighting for their lives ‘the real heroes.’ ”

Local businesses and organizations have helped support the event with donations.

A suitable bone marrow donor was never found for Carew’s daughter.

“We’re losing so many young people through this disease,” said Carew, Angels’ hitting instructor and longtime Anaheim resident.

Carew added that efforts like this are needed “to continue to raise the awareness that there are a lot of kids who need the help.”

Eddy said a dozen local high schools participated in the hitting derby with three girls from each softball team selected to compete. The batters received points for how far they hit the ball. In recent weeks, elimination rounds were held.

Canyon High’s hitters are pitcher Veronica Lopez, 17; shortstop RoAna Lutz, 17; and center fielder Rebekah Tippets, 16. For Saturday’s exhibition, the girls will wear their white baseball jerseys with the initials “M.C.” on the left sleeve.

Hitting for El Dorado High are Jill Jessen, 16, at third base; shortstop Samantha Kimura, 16; and Tiffany Smith, 16, second base.

El Dorado Coach Chris Schaner said his team wanted to be involved because it not only promotes softball, but “it’s a really good cause. I think it’s a neat deal to have this to keep her memory alive.”

Eddy said he hopes the event will become a lasting tribute and that next year more high school girls softball teams will participate.

Tippets also said she wants the fund-raiser to become an annual event: “This way, she’ll never be forgotten.”

Information and donations: Bob Zemel at (714) 622-5000.