Manchester Softball Tournament Fundraiser This Weekend

UPDATE: Tournament organizers have announced that the tournament will be postponed to Saturday, Oct. 17, because of the potential impact of Hurricane Joaquin.

Check back with the Patch for updates.

PREVIOUSLY: Manchester Township, to an outsider, is a sprawling community with no real town center; but as anyone who lives there will tell you, it’s a tightly knit community with a great big heart.

Michael Hughes and his family have found that out in recent weeks, as the community has rallied to help him and his children in the wake of the sudden passing of his wife, Melissa, in late July.

“It is very humbling,” he said Thursday. “As like I tell them, I am usually the one who offers help and support for others. Our community, I am finding out, is very close to each other, and helps out whenever we/they can.”

Next weekend, that community is hosting a softball tournament in Melissa’s honor to raise money for Michael and the children.

“Each year Manchester Little League tries to find a family from within the community that either has lost a loved one that was a huge part of our MLL family, or is ill with mounting medical bills,” said Dennis Hice, the league’s secretary. The event also is sponsored by the Manchester PBA.

“Melissa was a huge part part of our Little League community who enjoyed coming to watch her son Connor’s baseball games,” he said. “She always had a smile on her face whenever I saw her at the complex and always took a moment to say hello.”

“We made many friends in Little League,” said Michael Hughes, who said he has been involved as a coach and manager for four years, starting with 6- to 7-year-olds. ”In a couple years, many friends’ children were on other teams, so at least one night per week was family night at Little League, besides our regularly scheduled practices or games.”

Melissa, 48, was a licensed practical nurse and worked for various hospice agencies and was a medical coder for Ocean Orthopedics Association in Toms River for 12 years, Michael said, but she “always made time, while I was at work, to get our son to practices and games,” he said. “Family came first. She always was excited to watch him grow as a player. Just like when she took our daughter, Taryn, to karate and watched her achieve new belts.”

“She enjoyed camping, was a great mom, and loved spending time with her family, especially her children. She would do anything for them. She had a smile that was amazing,” Michael Hughes said.

Hice said 16 teams so far have signed up to compete in the tournament next weekend at the Manchester Little League complex at 2425 Ridgeway Road, Manchester. There are three divisions -- competitive, non-competitive and Whiffle ball -- and the event is open to more teams.

Registration for the competitive and non-competitive softball teams is $250 per team; Whiffle ball is $100 per team, organizers said. They are still looking for teams, vendors, gift baskets for raffling off and donations.

All proceeds will go to the Hughes family, Hice said.

The day includes hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled pork, as well as the raffles and the games, organizers said.

Melissa Hughes was born in Point Pleasant and lived in Toms River before moving to Manchester in 2002. In addition to Michael, Connor and Taryn, she is survived by her son Steven Lunga; her parents, John Carlin and Judith Becker; her brother and sister-in-law, John and LeAnne Carlin; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Denise and Ronald Fedorczyk and Deirdre and Jim Dellane; and several nieces and nephews.

“Melissa and her family enjoyed camping with many of the other Little League families, too,” Hice said. “She will be missed by everyone!”

To register a team for the tournament, contribute a basket or make a donation, contact any of the following:

• Stephanie Riccio: littleredheadsmom@yahoo.com
• Bob Cuber: Bcuber@comcast.net
• Rich Zingaro: zingaro23@comcast.net
• Dennis Hice: coach_den@comcast.net

(Photo of Melissa Hughes, courtesy of Michael Hughes)