CHAPMANVILLE, W.Va. — A 2nd annual softball tournament is to get underway this weekend honoring the fallen West Virginia State Police Trooper Sgt. Cory Maynard.
The 2nd Annual Sgt. Cory Maynard Softball Tournament will be held Saturday, August 10 at 9 a.m. at the baseball field at Chapmanville Regional High School in Logan County.
Hosted by Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Developmental Coordinator with SWVCTC Crystal Cook said the event is to help raise money for the Sgt. Cory Maynard Memorial Scholarship Fund they established following the troopers’ death on June 2, 2023. She said the scholarship is set up for first responders and their families.
Cook said they are currently $17,000 away from their goal of $50,000 towards the scholarship to be able to endow it and make it perpetual.
She said they hope Saturday’s tournament will help them complete their goal, but more than that, they feel it’s just nice to honor Maynard in this way.
“We’re really excited to be able to honor Sgt. Maynard in such a manner that even after his passing he is continuing to give to others as he did whenever he was around,” said Cook.
Maynard’s daughter will be handing out the funds for the first two recipients of the scholarship during the opening ceremony. His son is expected to throw first pitch. A helicopter fly over is also planned for the event.
On June 2, 2023, Sgt. Cory Maynard responded to a shooting on Beech Creek Road near Matewan in Mingo County where he was fatally shot during an ambush.
Cook said the tournament as well as the scholarship fund aims to remember Maynard for who he was in life without focusing on his tragic death.
“When we heard of the tragic passing of Sgt. Maynard we just wanted a way to be able to honor him and continue his legacy,” she said. “We didn’t want that to be what everyone remembered because he did so much good, we didn’t want that to be what he was remembered by.”
She said they felt like the scholarship is something Maynard would have wanted for first responders and their families as well.
“To be able to have a scholarship that would be perpetual and be able to give first responders and their immediate family members a leg up and to not have such a financial strain when attending Southern, we just felt like that was a way he could continue to give,” Cook added.
And she said so far, they have seen much success with the scholarship with the many applications they have received.
Cook said the softball tournament is also growing.
After they had a total of 12 teams last year for the inaugural tournament, this year they are up to 14 and have more people wanting to participate on a waiting list.
Cook said they are excited to see the success the tournament will bring yet again and encourages everyone to come out.
“We’re really excited, we hope everybody comes out, it’s not very much to get through the door, come out and have a good time with us.”
The cost is $5 per person and $15 per family.
There will be various food trucks set up as well as a cooling station and shuttle services provided.
Cook said the last game is expected to begin between 9 and 10 p.m. that night.