Schwartz: Levittown North Baseball Ready For Big Sunday To Benefit J.A.C.K.

By Peter Schwartz
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Throughout this coming week there will be countless Little League games played on fields all over the metropolitan area. But there will be four games played where the linescores will run deeper than runs, hits, and errors.

This Sunday, May 17, Levittown North Baseball on Long Island will be holding its second annual All-Star Benefit, a series of four games that will raise money for J.A.C.K., which stands for "Join a Cause for Kids."

It's an organization that honors Jack Perlungher, a young man who played for Levittown North Baseball that was diagnosed with Wilm's Tumor, a rare form of cancer, at the age of 4 in 2009. Jack passed away on Sept. 13, 2010, but not before he inspired so many people to help others.

"Most impressive was that through everything he endured he did it all with a smile," his father, Matt Perlungher, said in a statement that can be found on the organization's website. "He truly is an inspiration to all. We were blessed with a boy who has been described as having that million dollar smile and a zest for life."

Choosing J.A.C.K. for this year's All-Star Benefit was a no-brainer for Levittown North Baseball.

"The fact that Jack played in LNBB really hit home for us," said league board member and coach Dean Karras. "We are honored and privileged for the opportunity to host this event. This is a great way to not only rally our local community for such a worthy cause, but to show our players how youth sports can go beyond the game."

During his fight against the disease, Jack displayed a tremendous amount of strength and courage and became a hero to many people. After he passed away, family friends Kevin Glenn and Patty Atchison came up with the idea for J.A.C.K., a 501c3 not-for-profit organization that raises money for children and their families who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of serious illness or personal tragedy.

"Jack left such a lasting impression on so many," Matt Perlungher said. "So many people came together for us in our time of need. We felt in our hearts that we should be able to do the same for others. We want to make a difference in the lives of other children and Join A Cause for kids will enable us to do that."

Last year, Levittown North held a pair of all-star games to raise money for Hope and Heroes in honor of Lorenzo Fernandez, a 12-year-old boy who had lost his battle with cancer in March of 2014. The event was a huge success, raising money through a Chinese auction of prizes, including sports memorabilia, 50-50 raffle tickets, and concession sales.

This Sunday, at Whelan Field on Wantagh Avenue in Levittown, the event has been expanded to four three-inning games involving kids from various divisions. The schedule is as follows: 9:30 a.m. -- Lower Farms, 11:30 a.m. -- Upper Farms, 1:30 p.m. -- Majors, 3:30 p.m. -- Minors.

This year, auction items include donations from the Islanders, Knicks, Jets, Giants, Red Bulls, Cosmos, Brooklyn Cyclones and New York Lizards, as well as local restaurants and other area businesses.

Many LNBB volunteers spent many hours requesting and collecting the items and that hard work paid off.

"Our New York sports teams stepped up to support this cause," said Karras. "Coaches and parents took the initiative in going from store to store canvassing businesses for donations. This event is very much a group effort from our community of parents, coaches, players, sports teams and businesses."

I was honored to be a part of last year's All-Star Benefit and I'm looking forward to my role this year as the public address announcer for the fourth and final game of the day.

The whole event is great for a number of reasons.

For the Little Leaguers, it's a chance to be an "all-star" for a day, while also understanding what the day is about. For everyone involved, it's an opportunity to raise money for a great cause. And for Jack Perlungher's family, it's a day to remember and honor a special young man and that smile across his face every time he stepped onto a baseball field.

For more information on "Join a Cause for Kids," please visit their website at www.jackcharity.org.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow J.A.C.K. @JACKCharity23