It was another successful fundraising year for Prescott’s Crazy About Baseball (CAB) Company and the Prescott Fastpitch Association (PFA), which brought in approximately $5,500 in profit at the 23rd Annual CAB/PFA Banquet at the Old Ptacek’s Event Center on Friday, March 24.

The banquet raised money for the CAB and PFA organizations, both of which support Prescott’s baseball and softball teams at all levels financially and logistically. They ensure people of all ages have modern facilities, equipment and ample opportunity to enjoy the sport they love.

Friday night’s banquet featured a social hour, dinner, baseball and softball updates from all levels, raffle prizes, award presentations and featured speaker The Common Man Dan Cole, a long-time radio personality at KFAN in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The 2023 iteration of the CAB/PFA Annual Banquet was the first post-COVID fundraiser that generated pre-pandemic attendance and revenue. The $5,500 raised will be split equally between both organizations. For CAB Company president Chuck Block, Friday night was a favorable step in the right direction.

“I think that $5,500 is about what we were hoping for,” Block said. “It can also be bigger and better. This was a good step, especially in terms of raffle prizes. That’s where the local business and individuals stepped up their game with raffle prizes being donated. It’s what we hoped for.”

Prescott’s local businesses and individuals were remarkably generous in their prize donations. Whether it was a Yeti cooler, various grilling equipment, autographed sports memorabilia, or coaches offering complimentary lessons, the community rallied and produced standout raffle prizes that generated serious revenue.

Part of that success was the CAB Company’s decision to fully involve the PFA at the 23rd Annual Banquet. The first 21 years were solely a CAB Company event that generated revenue for baseball-related endeavors.

That was until last year when the PFA began integration into the fundraising event. The 23rd Annual Banquet was the first time that it truly was a split process between both organizations. Block spoke about it becoming a joint revenue-generating venture moving forward.

“This year it was really a point to make sure it was a CAB and PFA banquet in conjunction,” Block said. “It wasn’t just CAB inviting PFA. We came together for this one big banquet.”

Rising tides lift all boats, and that certainly appeared to be the case at the first super banquet between the two local organizations. For PFA treasurer Courtney Swanson, the incredible response financially was a sign that the community wants to support the organizations together, not individually.

“We saw the support that we have on both sides,” Swanson said. “It showed that we have people who are involved in both softball and baseball. It’s great to be working together on a fundraiser that will provide community spaces that will benefit both girls and boys.”

As the 23rd Annual Banquet approached, approximately 85 guests had signed up to participate. When the high school baseball and softball teams began recruiting additional community members to attend, that number grew to nearly 200 patrons for Friday night’s fundraising dinner.

That drastic change in attendance not only significantly altered the revenue, but also put additional pressure on the Old Ptacek’s Event Center to accommodate such a crowd with dinner, drinks and seating. Swanson spoke about Ptacek’s graceful handling of the situation.

“It was so well-run and I have to give props to Ptacek’s,” Swanson said. “They’re amazing and they always do a lot. It was such a great space and they were so accommodating when the attendance number changed. It went from 80 to 190 guests in basically a week. They were so flexible and understanding.”

After coaches and prominent figures from each local organization gave updates on their respective teams, long-time community volunteer Dallas Eggers presented Prescott’s Tracey Budworth with the annual Friend of Baseball Award.

The distinction honors an individual in the community who has donated years of their life to better the sport of baseball in Prescott. Budworth fought back tears as she graciously accepted the award in front of a packed crowd who honored her with thunderous applause.

After Budworth received the Friend of Baseball Award, PFA member Mackenze Rohl presented the first annual Legend of Softball Award.

The inaugural award went to Jackie Riley, who was a legendary Prescott High School softball coach. Riley passed away in 2016 after a battle with cancer. The current varsity softball facility is named Jackie Riley Field in her honor.

Riley’s award will be formally presented to her family before the home softball game on Monday, April 10.

After dinner, raffles and awards concluded, Prescott baseball head coach Jeff Ryan introduced the keynote speaker, The Common Man Dan Cole.

The KFAN radio personality put on what one could only interpret as a comedy show, as he ripped Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers fans alike. Cole detailed his career and answered questions even dating back to his early childhood.

He recounted many stories including when he was a young boy growing up in Detroit and how the Lions helped him learn to count. He said he learned by saying 0-1, 0-2, 0-3, etc. which got a big laugh from the crowd at Ptacek’s on Friday night.

By the end of the evening, the CAB Company and PFA organizations had completed the most successful banquet in post-pandemic life. The $5,500 will be split up between the two and used for various sports-related improvements throughout Prescott.