Annual home run derby benefit aims to help Lonsdale family

Ten area town baseball sluggers will try to bash as many home runs as possible at the annual fundraiser to help an area child and family dealing with a medical challenge slated for Saturday, June 28, 6 p.m., at Don Giesen Field in Union Hill.

Twelve-year-old Jacob Bongers of Lonsdale is suffering from medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer. The ninth annual home run derby is being planned to welcome Jacob and the previous eight recipients and their families.

The family friendly event will feature plenty of food, beverages, fun and games as a way to raise money to benefit the Bongers family.

The event features the home run hitting prowess of sluggers Erik Steinhoff and Matt Perkinson of Veseli, Clint Aretz of Hamburg, Will Busch, Nate Berg, Conrad Masberg and Joe Becker all of Union Hill, Ryan and Jack Friedges of St. Patrick and James Fuerniss of New Prague.

The event is a comeback effort after last year’s rainout. Though the event was washed out by days of heavy rainfall that left the field unplayable, it was still a success thanks to the generosity of area residents, said Ted Nytes of Home Town Bats. Sluggers will compete in one round of hitting and then be placed in brackets to compete until...

To see more on this story pickup the June 19, 2025 print edition of The New Prague Times.