(April 18, 2005) -- As the baseball-themed song says, "You Gotta Have Heart"...and ELB PONY baseball does.

What began as a fundraiser for ELB PONY Coach Ron Percy (seriously injured in an auto accident a few years ago) has grown into the group's third annual "Ron Percy Coaches Tournament for Charity"...and will take place April 28-30, 2005.

The event now benefits a selected LB-area charity or charities; this year "For The Child" (a LB agency involved in helping child victims of abuse or neglect and other children and families at risk) is the beneficiary.

In addition, ELB PONY baseball is raising money for the family of one of its players who recently lost his father to a rare blood disease, an ELB PONY league release says.

"The softball tournament consists of eight teams made up of league coaches and managers from each of the East Long Beach Pony divisions. The teams put aside intra-division competition for charity, but also duel it out for bragging rights. The three-day tournament features games, food vendors, raffles, jewelry vendors and more who also donate to the charity," the release says.

Info and contacts are on the group's web site: www.elbpony.org.