Georgia moms play softball to raise money for Crohn's and colitis research

ATLANTA - A lot of parents spend plenty of weekends and nights cheering for their kids on the field from the bleachers. One weekend a year, the rolls are reversed, when moms playing in the Betty League take the field. They're not just playing for fun, they're raising money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

The backstory:

"Spring of '21 I was out to dinner with four friends, and we were talking about going to all of our kids' athletics and how we never got out on the field. We were always in the stands or the bleachers, but we were talking about how fun it would be if we got out there," Amy Douglass said.

Douglass is the commissioner and co-founder of the Betty League. What started as an idea to give the moms a chance to play quickly became something bigger. They made the event a fundraiser for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, in honor of Douglass' daughter Ella Perry, who had just been diagnosed with Crohn's.

Amy Douglass

"It was really nice to have something that I could do, that I felt like I was making a difference, because I knew she was hurting and there wasn't a lot I could do about it," she said.

Douglass said the diagnosis was foreign to them and incredibly difficult to navigate until they found the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

Kathryn Owens is the associate executive director of the foundation's Georgia Chapter.

"We have been a part of every major research breakthrough for those living with IBD since our founding in the 60's," Owens said. "So we have been at the forefront of all of that. We support our patients and caregivers through our support groups."

Kathryn Owens

By the numbers:

Since the Betty League started in 2021, the group has grown from 20 women to 75 women. And they've raised more than $150,000 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

"I don't even have the right words to express my gratitude for my family and friends showing up how they do. And then it's friends of friends, it's family of friends, it's grown in the most organic and beautiful way," Douglass said.

All the money raised helps the foundation that Douglass says has helped her daughter through so much.

"Every dollar we raise can go back into our mission to go and be able to find cures," Owens said.

This year the foundation honored Douglass as the Volunteer of the Year at the Torch Gala.

"Moms on a mission is what I usually like to call them, and they're definitely on a mission to make change and make progress in our world," Owens said.

What they're saying:

Douglass says it's a team effort to put on The Betty League and raise the money.  The real home run is the support for her daughter, Ella Perry, and all the other people in her shoes.

"My daughter is 14 now, and she has a long long journey ahead. So I'm serious, I'm so excited about the possibility of finding a cure for this disease in her lifetime. So whatever we can do along the way to make that happen, at least we know we've given it our best shot," Douglass said.

What you can do:

The Betty League Tournament takes place on Mother's Day Weekend every year. If you are interested in learning more about the Betty League or the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, click here.