The Ninth Annual Franklin Township Girls Old Timers Softball Game was held Saturday at Christman Field.

The game is a benefit game they play every year, each year for a different organization.

No one actually kept score of the game; however, everyone agrees, the winner of this game was the Lehighton Fire Department, this year’s recipient.

Over the past eight years, they raised more than $23,000 for area organizations.

“We have a basket raffle; all the items were donated,” Donald Rehrig, co-founder of the game, said.

All the food in the refreshment stand was donated. So all money that comes with those and the 50/50 drawing goes straight to the Lehighton Fire Department.”

The Old Timers game features girls who aged out of the softball program at Franklin, but get together for the love of the game, for friendship, and to help raise money for local causes.

“You’re seeing girls who have played here throughout the years. Some are raising families; they’ve gone on, but they give of their time and come back each year to help play this game.”

Organizers for the game are Donald Rehrig, Jeff Smith, Ted Garrison, Tiffany Snyder, and Krista Rehrig, all from Lehighton.

Donald Rehrig also was chosen to throw out the first pitch for the game. Rehrig is a member of the Lehighton Fire Department, where he helps with smoke detector installations, fundraising, and fire prevention programs, just to name a few of his many accomplishments.

He also served as a coach for the Franklin Township Athletic Association and the Lehighton Area Soccer Club, was a member of the Lehighton borough council, and served two terms as mayor of Lehighton.

Members of the Lehighton Fire Department attended the game, including Fire Chief Pat Mriss and Assistant Chief Mike Mriss, plus several other members. Donald Rehrig took a moment to honor four 50-year veterans of the Lehighton Fire Department: Wayne Nothstein, Paul Mriss, Gary Frable, and Larry Diehl.

The umpires for the game were Tim Snyder and Brian Kuruts. Ron Beltz served as the announcer.

The girls who played: Tiffany Snyder, Krista Rehrig, Alexis Amari, Isabel Warner, Sam Haberman, Amanda Loudon, Jena Dunlap, Brandy Christiansen, Tasha Breiner, Sarah Matika, Erin Rupell, Lauren Brown, Janna Maxon, Kendra Gibson, Layla Gibson, Kelsey Snyder, Kortney Kuruts, Ali Hand, Keza Moyer and Annabelle Maxon.

Sponsors of the game included: Lehighton Ford (T-shirts), Law Offices of Velitsky & Frycklund (posters), Rapa Law, Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank, Lehighton Fire Company, Orioles Men’s and Ladies Auxiliaries, Franklin Lions Club, Verona’s, Alfie’s, Beaver Run Rod & Gun Club, Blocker Cycles, Zimmerman Dairy, PJ Whelihan, Corner Cone, The Mansion House, Thunderhead Lodge, Lehighton Pool, Lehigh Fire Company, Heintzelman’s, Marzen Hardware, Central Lunch, Doyle Heffley, and NB Center of American Automotive Heritage.

At the end of the game, the game organizers presented the Lehighton Fire Department with all the proceeds, $2,807.