Carilion Clinic and LewisGale step up to the plate for a softball charity game

SALEM, Va. (WDBJ) - Two health organizations stepped up to the plate for a good cause. Carilion Clinic and LewisGale Regional Health System faced each other in a game of softball to raise money for charity.

Physicians, nurses, and administrators from Carilion Clinic and Lewis Gale played a charity softball game at the Red Sox stadium.

“It means the world to us to be able to come out and donate some time and raise some money for a good cause,” says Carilion Clinic’s Cardiac Unit Operation Manager Kristy Myers.

She says the money raised will benefit the American Heart Association.

“Most of our patients, our cardiac patients, they come in with chest pain,” explains Myers. “We do see some stroke, but most of them are those that need heart casts or they need a device to keep their heart functioning properly or even open heart surgery.”

“I work on a cardiac unit. So it means the world to us to be able to come out and donate some time and raise some money for a good cause,” says LewisGale’s Stroke Coordinator Elizabeth Hart.

She says although the game is between rival hospitals making a difference brings them together.

“I think the last game that we played before COVID LewisGale actually won the game. So it’s just a matter of pride and saying that we’re the winner. We’re the best.” adds Hart. “We may be rivalries, but we have come together on many different occasions. And this is just one of those occasions that we come together to partner for the community.”

“It’s been a lot of fun seeing everybody out today. And the funds raised today help to support the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association here in the Roanoke region,” says the American Heart Association Development Director Elizabeth Vail.

Vail says these funds will help save lives.

“We’re funding almost a million in life saving research right here in Roanoke. And we’re doing a lot of great work in terms of quality education, we play CPR anytime kids in our area local schools. We’re the largest voluntary health organization in the United States,” states Vail.

LewisGale ended up winning against Carilion, 10 to 3.

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