Springfield Lucky Horseshoes to host Chatham Strong night, fundraiser

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Like many community members, when Jamie Toole heard about the tragedy in Chatham, he started brainstorming what he could do to help. As the Chief Storyteller of the Springfield Horseshoes, he planned to add a "Chatham Strong" night to the team's schedule.

"We thought 'how can we help, what can we do?'" said Jamie Toole, Chief Storyteller for the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes. "So we decided to have this game to help raise some proceeds for those organizations."

All the proceeds from ticket sales will go towards Chatham YNOT fundraisers. The players will be wearing a special red jersey for the game that they will sign and auction off to also raise more money.

While red is not normally a part of the team's colors, they are asking fans who attend the game to wear red to show support for Chatham.

"It's going to be a red out, so wear as much red as possible," said Toole. "Our players are going to have red hats and red jerseys and red socks. So we encourage every fan that comes tomorrow night to wear your red."

The Ball-Chatham School District's spokesperson Danny Frey said it's been encouraging to see events like this continue:

“We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from Chatham and surrounding communities in the wake of the YNOT tragedy. The kindness and generosity extended to the affected families and everyone involved have meant so much. These ongoing efforts are helping our community heal and move forward. Our hearts remain with the families and all those affected by the events of April 28. A committee has been formed to determine how the raised funds from the Glenwood High School Student Council organized GoFundMe will be distributed. The Ball-Chatham School District’s YNOT Tragedy Fund has been established to provide broader assistance to those affected. The committee is reviewing items such as memorials and community activities to help those involved.”

For tickets for tomorrow's game, visit the Horseshoe's website. For a list of upcoming events and fundraisers related to the YNOT tragedy, click here.