For Immediate Release
October 5, 2021

Contact: Keegan Bales keegan@congwomensoftball.org

Congressional Women’s Softball Game To Return October 27, 2021
Cancelled in 2020, event is on track to break fundraising record

WASHINGTON, DC – The Congressional Women’s Softball Game (CWSG) will be back Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at Watkins Recreation Center on Capitol Hill.

The annual event, which is traditionally held in June but was postponed due to Covid-19, benefits the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), a non-profit dedicated to the critical issues unique to young adults diagnosed with breast cancer. Every year a bipartisan group of women members of Congress competes against a team of women journalists from the DC press corps to raise money and awareness about the prevalence of breast cancer and importance of screening. To date, CWSG has raised $1.6 million for YSC.

"I am thrilled to join my bipartisan colleagues back on the field to help strike out cancer in young women," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who founded the game in 2009 after being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41. "As a breast cancer survivor, I know how vital education and outreach are for women 45 and younger. Knowing the risks empowers young women to speak up for their health and fight this deadly disease. The Congressional Women's Softball Game is a fun, competitive way to raise awareness about breast cancer in young women and vital funds for the Young Survival Coalition. Having a support network was critical during my cancer battle, and the Young Survival Coalition's work and our game do just that: build a community to help face personal struggles and pursue common goals. I missed that camaraderie last year and can't wait to get back in the batter's box.”

Although the demand for YSC’s services only intensified during the pandemic, the organization’s major fundraising events were cancelled in 2020, leading to unforeseen financial challenges. Thanks to leadership from Viatris, General Motors, McDonald’s, Samsung, Aflac, BP, Facebook, PepsiCo, Purina, State Farm, AIG, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation, Bayer, GE Healthcare, Nike, Spotify, and Toyota, the 2021 game has already raised over $371,000, more than any other year at this point in the season. CWSG is thrilled to have several new sponsors, including Gilead Sciences, National Association of Realtors, Brighthouse Financial, Ford Motor Company, Visa, iHeart Radio, Moffitt Cancer Center, Phone2Action, Punchbowl News, ACLI, Ardelyx, Consumer Brands Association, and Ullico.

“After taking a year to focus on our off-season training (read: due to the global pandemic), the Bad News Babes couldn’t be more excited to get back out on the field,'' said Leigh Munsil, CNN politics editor and co-captain of the press team, the Bad News Babes. “The only thing more fun than beating Congress is raising much-needed funding for the Young Survival Coalition’s mission of providing support and resources to young people fighting breast cancer. We hope this game reminds them that they aren’t alone: So many women in Washington across the political spectrum, as well as in media, are fighting with them.”

The Bad News Babes have been the reigning champs since 2016. With several strong rookies joining the Members team, including four Democrats and six Republicans, this year’s competition is shaping up to be fierce. The full rosters can be viewed here.

CWSG players and alumnae have run for president (Senator Kirsten Gillibrand), and one became the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history (Sec. Deb Haaland). Three of the nine current female U.S. governors are former CWSG players (Gov. Kathy Hochul, Gov. Kristi Noem, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham).

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here or at the field on game day. The gates, located at 13th and D Streets, SE will open at 5:30 PM ET and the game starts at 7:00 PM ET. Watkins Recreation Center is located at 420 12th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003.

For more information, visit: https://www.congwomensoftball.org.