Home Run For Life

Home Run For Life (HRFL I, II & III) is a softball marathon event held in the small village of Waskatenau, Alberta. Home Run For Life is an event that has happened in the years 2005 (HRFL I), 2007 (HRFL II) and 2009 (HRFL III) and were successful all 3 times, but only actually recognized by the Guinness World Records in Home Run For Life III. The Home Run For Life(s) have also raised over $250,000 for the Cross Cancer Insitute, and the Stollery Childrens Hospital located in Edmonton.

The events consisted of 40 players (all men), 11 committee members, and countless volunteers. The 40 players were randomly split into 2 teams, TEAM CROSS and TEAM STOLLERY. The men were not permitted to leave the grounds of the Waskatenau Pine Creek Ball Park throughout the whole event until deemed over.

Home Run For Life I In 2005, TEAM CROSS and TEAM STOLLERY started the attempt for the Worlds Longest Softball Marathon on June !!! and played for 60 hours, and 4 minutes straight. They unofficially held the World Record for less than 1 day, before a team in Quebec broke the record 1 day after the event had finished. HRFL I raised over $75,000 for the two charities.

Home Run For Life II On June 27, 2007, the committee members, and another set of 40 men (most alumni) on Teams CROSS and STOLLERY attempted the marathon event once again hoping to set a higher record for the Longest Softball Marathon than the existing one in Quebec that was recorded to be 95 hours, and 23 minutes. The teams played for 108 hours, and 3 minutes ending on July 1, 2007. The score recorded for this game was Team CROSS 783, and Team STOLLERY 697, playing 694 innings (equivalent of nearly 100 softball games). The event was unofficially recorded as the Worlds Longest Softball Marathon, but when all the papers were turned into Guinness, there was a technical error in the papers, resulting in no offical record. HRFL II raised over $91,000 for the two charities.

Home Run For Life III On June 30, 2009, the committee members, and another set of 40 players (most alumni) felt that they finally had the experience to complete the marathon without any errors, and to hopefully recieve the offical record. Team CROSS and Team STOLLERY took to the Pine Creek Ball Park one last time and played for 5 straight days and nights, playing 115 hours, and 3 minutes worth of softball ending on July 5, 2009. Team STOLLERY beat Team CROSS 876-766. HRFL III raised over $110,000 for the 2 charities.

Although not denoted in the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records, Home Run For Life III has been officially recognized as the World Record Holders for Worlds Longest Softball Marathon.