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Community-wide effort saves dog on Highway 14 ~ story inside!
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! VOLUME 108: ISSUE 02
www.tofieldmerc.com
Back to school for Tofield, Ryley, and Holden Schools ~ photos inside!
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Kari Janzen Staff Reporter
The 29th annual September long weekend RyTof slo-pitch tournament brought many people to town, as 67 teams descended on Tofield and Ryley from Saturday, August 30 to Monday, September 1. Each year the tournament is hosted by the Tofield Agricultural Society and the Beaver Heritage and Ag Society. “We would like to thank all the teams, players, and supporters of the Ry-Tof Tournament. With this continued level of commitment, a tournament of this size can happen in our communities and be a huge success,” said Aimee Boese, Town of Tofield Recreation/Facilities & Communications Assistant. Local teams included Brew Crew, Home-Time Hooligans, Big Hitties, BBoBC, and the Screamin’ Seagulls. Games were played at the four diamonds at each of the Tofield and Ryley Sportsgrounds, a diamond at Ryley School, and the Lindbrook diamond. Each team was guaranteed five games, as round robin games were played on Saturday and Sunday before finals began on
Home-Time Hooligans players head back to the dugout after a good inning. KARI JANZEN PHOTOS Monday. This year’s winners included: A Event – Wannabees, B Event - Hit 'n Run, C Event - Ukrainian Outlaws and Not So Athletics (split), D Event - Larry's, E Event – WTP, F Event - Screamin' Seagulls, G Event - Blue Sox, H Event - Pitches & Batstards, and I Event - Silent Swingers. Along with Saturday and Sunday’s heat, the teams also had to contend with smoke that blew in on Monday. Sweet Tweet’s and Bouncy Feet’s, a new food truck and bouncy castle business, were stationed in Ryley for the weekend, their refreshing goodies welcome in the plus 30-degree weather
players experienced over the three-day tournament. A mini donut truck and Snider’s Kettle Corn were also among food vendors during the weekend. A dance was held on Saturday in Tofield, and in Ryley on Sunday, and the Men’s Home Run Derby also took place in Ryley on Sunday. This year’s top winner, the Wannabees, were the recipients of the Jackie Kallal Memorial Trophy. “Jackie Kallal was instrumental in the development of the Total Ry-Tof Tournament, which has raised over $400,000 which has been used towards capital improvements to the Tofield arena and Ryley Swimming Pool.
Since her passing in 2009, we have honoured her memory and commitment to this tournament by presenting the Jackie Kallal Memorial Trophy to the tournament winners annually,” the information package says. The very first Ry-Tof tournament was held in 1996 with 42 teams, when the Tofield and Beaver Heritage Ag Societies decided to bring the Harvest Klassik back to life. “Slo-pitch was a popular sport in the mid1990s, and in 1996 the Tofield Ag Society & Beaver Heritage and Ag Society had a desire to revive an event formerly known as the ‘Harvest Klassik’ as a fundraising
Big Hitties pitcher. activity for the communities,” the Tales of Tofield book says. “The two Ag Societies have cooperated to host this event every
Thursday Sept 11 @ T 11am-7pm
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year since. After years of growing demand to enter this ‘Ry-Tof Tournament,’ in 2008 the tournament expanded to 80 teams.”
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