Annual DZ24 Wiffle Ball Tournament Slated for Oct. 18

03:05PM / Sunday, October 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The 6th Annual DZ24 Wiffle Ball Tournament and Raffle Fundraiser is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Deming Park in Pittsfield.

This event serves as a fundraiser for the Dave Zerbato Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to graduating seniors from both Pittsfield and Taconic High Schools. All proceeds from the day will benefit the fund.

Teams of four will compete in a tournament structure, with competition brackets organized by age. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in each age group.

The cost to participate is $10 per person or $40 per team. The deadline for team registration is Thursday, Oct. 16. Teams must register by emailing Justin Hopkins at justinhop@nycap.rr.com and providing their team name, members, and all members' ages.

In addition to the tournament, event T-Shirts will be sold. Pre-ordering is highly recommended to ensure availability, as quantities will be limited. The pre-order cost is $20, while the price increases to $25 on the day of the event. Those pre-ordering should indicate the number of shirts and the adult sizes required in their registration email. The event will also feature the sale of raffle tickets, food, and beverages.

Payments—including registration fees and purchases—can be made via cash, PayPal, check (payable to the "Dave Zerbato Scholarship Fund"), or Venmo (@davezerbatoscholarship). For those unable to attend but wishing to support the cause, donations are also strongly encouraged.

Organizers note that in the event of rain, the tournament will be moved to an alternate location at Rip City Academy in Dalton.

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Youth Alive & ROPE: Stepping Toward the Future

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
10:07AM / Sunday, November 16, 2025

Youth Alive step, dance and drumline participants.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Every year, the nonprofits Youth Alive and the Rites of Passage and Empowerment step toward a stronger, more equitable community.

This year marked Youth Alive's 30th anniversary and ROPE's 15th anniversary. It was no coincidence that the organizations celebrated it with multiple step performances during their fundraising dinner last Saturday at the Berkshire Innovation Center.

"Every step that they took, we knew that they were stepping further away from oppression. They were stepping further away from social injustice," said keynote speaker the Rev. Nakeida Bethel-Smith, pastor of Hood-Shaw Memorial AME Zion Church of Providence, R.I.

"They were stepping further away from all the things that we were told that we couldn't be in the community that was supposed to hug us."

Bethel-Smith is also an eligibility and outreach specialist for the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance.

"It was people like Shirley Edgerton, [referred to as Misses E to her students] it was people like the late [Bishop Jerome Edgerton Sr.,] that saw their potential to step with their purpose, to step boldly into that thing and say, 'we see you, even if nobody else sees you.'

"Every time they stepped, they took their authority back. Every time they stepped, they reclaimed their voice. Every time they stepped, you knew that they were stepping with purpose. You knew that they were stepping with a mission.

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