On Saturday, June 27, they played ball for Ava Conklin. In memory of the late teen, family and friends organized a charitable one-pitch softball tournament, the inaugural fundraising event for the Ava Conklin Foundation, and according to Ava’s dad, Matthew Conklin of Broad Channel, “The tournament was a great success.” Making it even more special was the winner of the 50/50 being a family truly in need, something no doubt, Ava played a role in hand selecting from heaven.
Earlier this year, the family of Ava Conklin, who was fatally struck by a car on the corner of Beach 108th and Rockaway Beach Boulevard on June 23, 2023, launched a nonprofit in her memory. The Ava Conklin Foundation “supports scholarships for young artists, keeping Ava’s spirit alive through creativity and performance. Every contribution helps carry on her legacy,” a flyer for the One Pitch Softball Tournament read. In 2023, Ava’s music teacher at Talent Unlimited High School, created the Ava Conklin Scholarship to support young artists from the school, much like Ava, who was a talented singer and actress. With the formation of the nonprofit, the Ava Conklin Foundation now stewards the Ava Conklin Scholarship. The Foundation will also support animal shelters and rescues as Ava had a deep love for animals.
With that, Ava’s family set out to create an event that would help raise funds to support the Foundation. As her father, Matthew Conklin plays softball, and knows many others who play softball through various leagues, the family decided the first event would be a softball tournament. “We thought it would be a good start for the foundation to help raise money,” Conklin said.
What he didn’t expect was the overwhelming outpour of love and support for the first event. “We had 15 teams sign up and had a waiting list,” Conklin said. Each team gave a $250 donation to enter. Among the teams was an all-female team, Hell’s Kitchen, named after the neighborhood where Ava lived with her mom, Chrissy Collins. On the team was Chrissy, Ava’s grandmother, Kelly Collins, aunts, cousins, sisters and friends. There was also one co-ed team, The Stoop Kids, based out of Howard Beach, which wound up winning the whole tournament.
The tournament, held at the All-American Ball Fields in Broad Channel, took place Saturday, June 27. The event kicked off with the family thanking everyone for participating in the very first event on behalf of the Ava Conklin Foundation. Then Ava’s grandfather, Bobby Collins, threw out the first pitch, and everyone played ball! Players and spectators enjoyed plenty of gift raffles donated by businesses and individuals. Food was donated by Curran’s, and drinks were donated by Bungalow Bar, part of the In Good Company Hospitality family, for which Ava worked at The Rockaway Hotel.
The biggest fundraising aspect for the event was a massive 50/50, with tickets sold by Ava’s family and friends leading up to and during the tournament. The total raised from the 50/50, raffles and entry was a whopping $67,630. “I didn’t realize at the time that we raised that much,” Matthew Conklin said. “When I was told, I was shaking.”
Of that, $41,430 went to the Ava Conklin Foundation, as $26,200 from the 50/50 pot went to a lucky winner who was much deserving. “We pulled a name I didn’t know, but Chrissy had sold the ticket and she said ‘Oh my God’ when it dawned on her who it was. It’s a family from New Jersey. They’ve been friends with Chrissy and her parents for a long time and they went to the Jersey Shore together and Ava knew them. They have a child in a wheelchair and every few years, they organize a benefit to help pay for the cost of doctor visits and prescriptions. They weren’t able to have the benefit this year due to a death in the family, so when we called them to let them know they won, they couldn’t believe it. It went to a wonderful family who really needed it,” Conklin said. “It was like Ava knew that they needed it, and that’s why they were chosen.”
Overall, Conklin said, “The tournament was a great success. We didn’t realize we were going to raise this amount of money for the Foundation. It was overwhelming.” The softball tournament will become an annual event.
Conklin said it wouldn’t have been possible without help. “This day couldn’t have been done without my family and friends, especially my cousin, John Conklin. He was my right-hand man. He ran the whole thing,” Conklin said. “We just thank everyone for all the help, the donations, and all of the businesses, family and friends who donated gifts to be raffled off. We couldn’t have done it without everybody coming together.”
In another tribute to Ava Conklin, on Sunday, July 19, ice cream parlor, The Perfect Scoop (526 Main Street) in Avon by the Sea, NJ, will be scooping up Ava’s Flavor; a combo of mint chocolate chip and cookies and cream. “Ava loved ice cream,” Conklin said. “This place is owned by a friend of a friend who wanted to honor Ava.”
Photos by Matthew Conklin and James O’Connor.
