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Community Corner

Artists and Writers Game More About Just Celebrity Softball

Organizer Leif Hope recounts 63 year summer tradition set to take place on Saturday.

This Saturday, a Hamptons tradition continues with the , a fundraiser for three local organizations; the East Hampton Day Care Learning Center, East End Hospice, and .

This year Alec Baldwin, Chevy Chase, Mercedes Ruehl, Christie Brinkley, sportswriter Mike Lupica and former baseball professional, Jim Leyritz are just a few of the players slated to take to the field.

The games started in 1948 as a summer Sunday game that was played in Springs on the front lawn of artist, Wilfred Zogbaum. It was like just a picnic, according to Leif Hope, who has lead organizing the games since 1966. “Potato salad, meat slices and lots of booze,” said Hope.

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Hope explained that it was later in the 1960s and 1970s that writers joined in and as the game grew, it evolved to where members of the visual and verbal crafts were pitted against each other.

As the tradition continued the game came to include actors, musicians, politicians, and television personalities. A few of the famous names on former rosters were Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Kurt Vonnegut, Irwin Shaw, Yogi Berra and activist Abbey Hoffman of the Chicago Seven.

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Hope said that the game which for many is an August tradition, “pulls a lot of the East End together.”

Last year’s game drew a crowd of more than 1,200 and Hope expects another strong turnout this Saturday. The success of the event is important to Hope. “Governments are cutting for all of these charities and the ability to make payroll is very difficult," he said.

The spirit of the game is at its core about hope and community he said. In reflection of the upcoming 10 year anniversary of the 9/11, Hope is pulling together a chorus of people representing as many religious denominations as he can to sing the national anthem to start the game. 

Hope said, “There is a lot of work to this game but there is a lot of satisfaction in the event which often produces a lot of good games and players.”

The game is held at in East Hampton and there is a suggested donation of $10 per person. There will also be refreshments and raffles.

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