The Junior Auxiliary of Columbia is donating to each of the four high school softball programs in Marion County to honor one of its members killed in the December 2014 tornado.
The gifts are being made in memory of Amber Owens Sumrall, who played softball at West Marion High School and Pearl River Community College.
Her son Slade threw out the first pitch during the game Tuesday evening between Columbia and West Marion.
The club started a softball tournament in Amber Sumrall’s honor in 2015 and the proceeds provide a scholarship to a senior from Marion County who plays softball but doesn’t necessarily have to be going to college to play the sport.
This is the first year making a donation to each high school in her name. The club’s gifts were used to purchase new uniforms for Columbia High School, new helmets for East Marion and a chalker and aerator for West Marion. The club will purchase an item for Columbia Academy in the fall, which is when private schools play softball.
Pictured Above: Slade Sumrall fires the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday at the Columbia High School softball field. The Junior Auxiliary is making donations to each of the county’s four high school softball programs in memory of his mother, Amber Owens Sumrall, a JA member who was killed in the 2014 Columbia tornado. | Photo by Charlie Smith
