Military Softball Team Hits a Home Run for Toys for Tots

On a sunny November weekend at Dunkirk Park in Maryland, members from the Family of Brothers softball team gathered to do what they love most – playing softball and giving back to their community.

On Nov. 2, 2024, the varsity-level softball team hosted their tenth annual charity tournament, raising funds and collecting gifts for Toys for Tots. This event has become a cherished tradition that brings athletes, families, and friends together for a common cause.

“This tournament started with a simple idea, to use our love of softball to give back to the community,” said Senior Master Sgt. Dominique Ortiz, an individual mobilization augmentee currently assigned to U.S. Strategic Command. “The holiday season is about bringing joy, spreading hope, and showing kids they're cared for during this special time of year.”

Every year, participants and spectators bring toy donations, filling collection boxes throughout the tournament. Then, during the Veterans Day holiday, team officials and their families gather to use cash donations in a shopping spree for the remaining toys, ensuring no child is left out.

As one of the core strategists for the team, Ortiz mentioned it feels incredible to have “veterans, active military members and our family and friends supporting us in our collective efforts to give back to our community,”
This year, more than 16 boxes of toys were collected for Toys for Tots on-site. Adding in the cash donations, more than $12,000 worth of toys were donated. Over the past decade, Family of Brothers has raised more than $72,500 through its Toys for Tots tournament, hosted more than 130 teams and seen more than 224 hours of spirited play.

“This is an amazing organization,” said Cortney Woodward, a retired U.S. Army soldier who also serves as a FOB strategist. “One of our passions is providing extreme amounts of joy to kids. This community elects to play together. Members are grateful just to be a part of it.”

Adding to the Family of Brothers organization, a Family of Sisters all-women’s softball team formed in 2023. With members from around the United States, Family of Sisters represents the spirit of inclusivity within the community. As this sisterhood continues to expand, so does the collective impact of FOB’s mission.

(Hazel is the strategic enlisted advisor for the Air Force Reserve’s Individual Reservist Strategy Office and an IMA in the Intelligence Directorate.)