Softball and baseball players from area high schools will hit the fields this week at Cleveland High School for the 40th Annual Cleveland Rotary Club Baseball and Softball Tournament. The games are set to commence on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. and end on Saturday with championship games.
Teams competing in the tournament hail from various high schools, including Cleveland, Tarkington, Humble, Shepherd, Macarthur, Vidor, West Fork, Orangefield, La Marque, Hightower, Onalaska, Alief Elsik, and Coldspring. The tournament, a longstanding tradition in Cleveland, owes its origins to the late Hal McClelland and Randy Zeringue, the latter being a former insurance agent in the Cleveland area and a former Rotary Club member. This initiative was born out of their desire to arrange fundraisers for the Rotary Club.
The fields at Cleveland High School are named in honor of McClelland, who lovingly kept the fields in pristine condition without any payment or expectation in return. McClelland became a driving force for the tournament and worked tirelessly each year to ensure the smooth operation of the tournaments. He died in 2019.
Originally starting with baseball, the tournament later incorporated softball, with its impact reverberating positively in the community. Notably, the tournament’s charitable efforts have resulted in over $400,000 in scholarships being awarded to local students thus far. Additionally, The Rotary Club of Cleveland, Texas, has sponsored 300 children to attend Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, a program aimed at nurturing essential leadership skills in young people.
The scholarships, once extended exclusively to Cleveland and Tarkington, have since been extended to include Shepherd. All three superintendents from Cleveland, Shepherd, and Tarkington are active members of the Cleveland Rotary Club, exemplifying the strong collaboration between the club and the local education leadership.
The Rotary Club of Cleveland, Texas, has not only supported educational endeavors but has also made significant contributions to global causes, including funding literacy programs and the establishment of 15 water wells in South America. Locally, the Club has donated to organizations like TUFF Kids, which strives to provide afterschool and summer activities to children in the Cleveland community.
In celebration of the tournament’s 40th anniversary, the Rotary Club has generously donated a commemorative bench to the field, with a special dedication ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday at the entrance to the fields. The public is invited to attend.
Tickets for the tournament are $15 for a three-day pass or $5 for a one-day pass. Tickets for children are $3 each. All tickets can be purchased at the gate.
For more information about The Rotary Club of Cleveland, Texas, go online to https://www.facebook.com/rotarycleveland