Slideshow: Matt Henk Foundation Benefit Tournament Draws Thousands

When Jen Henk heard the Black Sheep Pipe Band play Amazing Grace on Saturday, she was simply overwhelmed by emotions and memories of her late husband , a former Mentor firefighter and a father, who passed away after a five-year battle with cancer in 2009.

Following Matt’s untimely death, his friends and co-workers organized a softball tournament to raise funds to support Jen Henk and her then-1-year-old twin daughters.

In just three years, the tournament became successful enough that it now supports other causes such as Mentor Youth Hockey, the Ireland Cancer Center and other families that lost a firefighter husband or father.

 The Black Sheep Pipe Band marched in an honor guard during opening ceremonies Saturday at the third annual Matt Henk Foundation Benefit Softball Tournament at . In addition to Amazing Grace, the band played Going Home and Scotland The Brave.

 “I cry when they play Amazing Grace,” Jen Henk said. “But this is a happy event because so many people come out to support the tournament. On behalf of the Henk family, we’d like to express our utmost gratitude for all those paticipating in the tournament and making it a success. We also thank  Lisa Sharp and Bill Malovrh and all the other volunteers, as well as all of the players who have come from near and far to participate in this tournament.”

Slightly more than 50 teams played in the softball tournament over the weekend. The teams came from more than a dozen communities throughout Northeast Ohio, as well as Maryland, Michigan and Virginia.

On Sunday, the tournament was highlighted by an appearance from Jose Canseco and his brother Ozzie Canseco. The former baseball major leaguers played in a home run derby for about two hours and later signed authographs for children. 

Organizers estimated more than 2,000 people attended the weekend tournament, which ended Sunday evening.