JENELL TAYLOR
Staff Writer
At Sharpe Field on Saturday, dozens of families gathered under a sunny, cloudless sky for the 21st annual hosting of Timothy’s Tournament. From grandparents to toddlers, each and every face bore a smile in the spirit of camaraderie and remembrance.
Ann Ayers and Mark Ritacco started Timothy’s Tournament after their son Timothy Ritacco died in 2004 from Sandhoff disease, a rare genetic disorder that affects the body’s nerve cells. The tournament began to raise awareness and funding for research about Sandhoff disease, and has since blossomed into 21 years of community togetherness.
“What I think is important is showing up,” Ayers said. “Showing up for people you care about in connection to something that’s bigger than yourself is about the best thing that life has to offer.”
The tournament also collects donations for the improvements and renovations of various youth-centered projects in Chautauqua. Ayers said she’s hoping to replace the car and tunnel on Timothy’s Playground, which was installed in 2016.
This year in particular, a significant portion of the funds raised will go toward The Greg and Linda Prechtl Endowment for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club and The Kit Trepasso Endowment for the Children’s School.
Ritacco family friend Pie Kasbar, assistant director and program director at the Children’s School, also attended the tournament and described the importance of events focused on Chautauqua’s children.
“For a long time, I think people have had this misconception that [Children’s School] was a daycare for the babies while [their parents] are at lectures and things, but no, it’s a little Chautauqua of its own,” she said. “It has its own art program, music program, we get visits from the opera once a week and we have a theme that parallels the Institution’s theme.”
“Coach” Greg Prechtl, director of Boys’ and Girls’ Club, shares this sentiment, emphasizing how vital it is for children to feel seen and involved in their communities.
“This enables us to continue providing activities and enriching experiences for them,” he said. “It’s really exciting to see how they love each other. There’s no place I’d rather be.”
As the years pass, the tournament evolves. When Timothy’s Tournament first started, it was held as a three-on-three basketball tournament. Today, it hosts more than 11 teams in kickball.
Katie Prechtl Cooke, a close friend of the Ritacco family, played alongside them in the early days of the tournament. “It’s all about community and giving back to the organizations that we love so much,” she said. “It’s giving back to the next generation of kids through the endowments, which is really cool.”
In the years since it was first created, the activities of Timothy’s Tournament have changed, but the heart of the event remains the same: coming together to celebrate Timothy’s life.
“When basketball was no longer feasible, we changed it to kickball,” Cooke said. “And if it has to move on to something else, we’ll let it move on to the next thing. It’s just the idea of coming together in celebration of Timothy and also in celebration of each other.”
The tourney concluded with a lively championship match, with the Rings of Fire emerging as the games’ winners over the Westernburgers. The second place team didn’t leave empty handed, however, as they received the “losers’ trophy” — a tower of cheeseballs.
At its core, Timothy’s Tournament has always been about raising awareness for Sandhoff disease and honoring Timothy’s memory. As it grows, its meaning has expanded. Through the continued dedication and care for one another, Timothy’s Tournament also stands for the joy felt when Chautauqua’s children and families gather to revel in the community’s shared generosity and impact.
“Every time I go by Timothy’s Playground or by the bell tower, I feel proud,” Ayers said. “To see what we’ve created and what we’ve built is important. There really is a need for more things in Chautauqua for kids.”
