Softball teams from across Central Mississippi will descend upon Vicksburg this weekend to play for trophies and charity.

The Vicksburg Child and Parent Center will host the “Strike Out Child Abuse” benefit fast-pitch softball tournament Saturday at Halls Ferry Park. A total of 19 recreational and travel teams from Vicksburg, Florence and Brandon, among other places, will compete in the one-day event that begins at 8 a.m.

Games will be played in five age divisions ranging from 8U to 16U, and will continue into the evening Saturday.

Admission for fans is $10. All proceeds benefit the CAP Center’s mission of preventing child abuse and neglect. The tournament has raised more than $20,000 for the CAP Center in its first three years, and tournament director Jeremiah Pant said he hopes to add a lot more to the total Saturday.

“It’s a really good fundraiser for them. Especially having it at Halls Ferry Park, we end up raising a lot more money because we don’t have to pay Sports Force and everything goes back to the CAP Center,” said Pant, who is also on the CAP Center’s board of directors. “The more people that come out, the more we raise for the CAP Center. So even if they don’t have kids playing it’d be nice to have them come out just to support us and watch a couple of games.”

The CAP Center and Exchange Club of Vicksburg offer programs to help families in Vicksburg and Warren County that are in need of support and guidance to prevent child abuse and neglect. It is a private, non-profit agency.

Pant said fundraisers like the softball tournament are vital to the CAP Center’s mission.

“All those proceeds go to the CAP Center,” Pant said. “They’re a non-profit, so anything we can do to raise money for them helps pay for the workers and the programs that they’ve got going on over there.”

The CAP Center is also looking for volunteers to help run the tournament, particularly in the late afternoon and evening. The tournament is expected to conclude around 9 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to help with the concession stand, scoreboards and at the gate. Adults, children and organizations are welcome. For more information, call Allison Cox at 601-218-3352.