Our Mission

Our Vision

Ball 4 a Cure empowers communities, united through sports, to positively transform lives. Using sports as a vehicle to bring people together, annual tournaments raise awareness and proceeds that fund programs designed to improve the continuum of care and quality of life for patients and their families.​

Our Story

In 2015, nine friends from elementary school founded Ball 4 a Cure Inc., an annual 3 v 3 charity basketball tournament in West Hartford, Connecticut. Starting at the black top playground of a local school, Ball 4 a Cure has grown to 3+ tournaments a year, spanning from golf and basketball to bowling and concerts. All of the proceeds from Ball 4 a Cure tournaments and events are donated to the Ball 4 a Cure Fund at Connecticut Children's Hospital, with 97% of funds supporting families with housing needs. The Ball 4 a Cure Fund assures that children in treatment always have a safe, warm, and secure home to return to when they leave the Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders. The remaining 3% of funds assist families in obtaining medical equipment to help manage patient pain and rehabilitation.

Past Years

BOWL 4 A CURE - 2022
After a successful Inaugural Bowl 4 a Cure in 2021, we made this event an annual event and took to the lanes again at Bowl-O-Rama in 2022. On Thanksgiving weekend, 220 bowlers filled all forty lanes for fun-competition and many laughs. New to this year, we flocked to Arch Street Tavern for a private concert from After School Special. In total we raised over $7,000!
Congrats to the winners: B-Town and Young Greezy

GOLF 4 A CURE - 2022
Our Third Annual Golf 4 A Cure at Simsbury Farms was incredible! 144 golfers joined our scramble tournament and hundreds more volunteered to organize fun competitions on every hole. Although a torrential downpour ended some team’s round a hole early, our dinner with amazing raffle prizes and giveaways made up for it all. Congratulations to the 2022 winners: Aidan Maloney, Aidan Stabnick, Brendan Connors, and Matt Langevin!​

JAM 4 A CURE - 2022
Our Second Annual Jam 4 a Cure was hosted at Parkville Market and was our biggest event yet! Three bands attracted over 400 people to the dance-floor. Special thanks to the incredible team at Parkville Market, The NovelTease, Lonesome Eddie and the Bird Dogs, and Earl on Earth. Collectively, between Jam 4 a Cure and Golf 4 a Cure, we raised over $50,000 for our Family Support Fund at CT Children’s hospital!​

BALL 4 A CURE - 2022
​In 2022 we finally got back in the gym after taking two years off because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Basketball players from different states gathered together for our 6th Annual Ball 4 a Cure at Nomads Adventure Quest in South Windsor. Shoutout to the “Old Heads” (Javaughn Fisher, Sam Linabury, and Cam Fisher) who took home the trophy. Can’t wait to see you in the gym in 2023.

BOWL 4 A CURE - 2021
In our Inaugural Bowl 4 a Cure, over 200 Bowlers crowded the lanes at Bowl-O-Rama to compete against each other for top prizes and raise awareness for the families struggling financially while battling cancer. When bowlers left the lanes they were welcomed at Wurst Haus in West Hartford for live music, appetizers, and drinks. In total, the tournament and post-event raised nearly $6,000!
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Check out a photo recap of the event here.​

GOLF 4 A CURE - 2021
​140 golfers and dozens more, gathered at Simsbury Farms for our 2nd Annual Golf 4 a Cure tournament. The tournament followed the first Jam 4 a Cure Concert. The weekend was an absolute blast and raised over $45,000. A big thank you to our sponsors and everyone that participated.

Check out a photo recap of the event here.​

2021 Jam 4 a Cure
Our first ever Jam 4 a Cure was hosted at the Gastropark in West Hartford. Three incredibly talented bands, Earl on Earth, Dead Man's Blues, and The Junkyard Dogs, performed for 200+ groovy concert ongoers. 
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Check out a photo recap of the event here.
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GOLF 4 A CURE - 2020
In light of Covid-19, we postponed our 6th Annual Ball 4 a Cure until we could safely and responsibly host the tournament again. In lieu of basketball, we hosted the First Inaugural Golf 4 a Cure tournament at Simsbury Farms. The tournament was a great success, raising over $19,000, and allowing us to establish the Ball 4 a Cure Fund at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. We look forward to expanding our impact to other communities across the country, from schools to cities alike.
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Check out a photo recap of the event here.

FIFTH ANNUAL - 2019
Our 5th Annual Ball 4 a Cure hosted over 150 basketball players from all over New England. In our most successful basketball tournament yet, we raised over $23,000 to support patients and families of pediatric cancer. This year’s Silent Auction Raffle drew prizes from dozens of local businesses and even a few NBA, NFL and MLB players. 
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Check out a photo recap of the event here.
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FOURTH ANNUAL - 2018
With another year under our belt came more success, raising $6,669. We started fundraising efforts earlier, securing 11 sponsors for the tournament. Both the Juniors and Adult tournament expanded, drawing a mix of 150 intramural scrubs, college athletes, and high school hoopers alike. We are very proud that after our fourth annual tournament we became an official Non-Profit organization and were approved by the IRS for 501(c)3 status. 
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Check out a photo recap of the event here.

THIRD ANNUAL - 2017
The Third Annual Ball 4 a Cure tournament was another success. Once again we were able to raise our registration numbers, reaching upwards of 130 people. The move to an indoor location proved to be a success as we were able to accompany more teams with the extra courts. In year three, we raised over $3,000, implementing silent auctions and side games for spectators and competitors alike.

Check out a photo recap of the event here.

SECOND ANNUAL - 2016
In our Second Annual Ball 4 a Cure Tournament, we added a Juniors Tournament. With 120 plus competitors, we raised over $2000 for the Oncology Clinic at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Team Guadalupe brought home the gold along with a grand prize of $150. In our younger division, the winners went home with 4 UConn football tickets! It was a great day for the tournament as the weather held off and everyone had a great time.
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Check out a photo recap of the event here.

FIRST ANNUAL - 2015
In 2015 we launched our first ever basketball tournament and coined the name Ball 4 a Cure. Through a community effort, recent high school graduates organized a tournament with their community for their community. When it was all said and done, the first ever basketball tournament hosted over 30 teams and raised over $1,500. Participants were welcomed with T-Shirts, pizza, drinks, and information about pediatric cancer. The First Ball 4 A Cure was the tipping point for what would become an organization and annual event. 

Check out a photo recap of the event here.