Hannah greatly enjoyed softball, playing for the Fort Hunt Federals, Mount Vernon Magic, and for the West Potomac High School varsity team, which she co-captained during her senior year, but before she played softball she briefly played Little League baseball with the boys, once making a memorable catch in left field.
Hannah benefitted enormously from softball, and learned a great deal from all her coaches and her teammates.
The Hannah Graham Memorial Softball Tournament is the inspiration of some of these coaches and team-mates’ parents. It is Hannah’s softball family’s way to remember Hannah, in a way that is pure Hannah: having fun, but with an important purpose, in this case increasing awareness in girls a little younger than Hannah of the need to be careful, and raising money for charitable causes.
The tournament is held annually in September, in the Alexandria region of Fairfax County, Virginia, and is open to local Under-16 and Under-18 teams, many of which played against Hannah’s Mount Vernon Magic team.
HISTORY
Hannah Graham lived most of her life in the Stratford Landing area of Fairfax County. Hannah graduated from West Potomac High School in 2013 and had just started her second year of study at the University of Virginia when she was abducted and murdered in 2014 at 18 years old. Her assailant, a serial offender, was quickly arrested and was convicted in March 2016. He is serving seven life sentences for Hannah’s murder and other offenses, with no chance of parole.
Hannah was an outstanding athlete and an exceptional student. She was an optimistic and happy person, taking great delight in her many activities, which included softball. Hannah played for several local softball teams from an early age, including the Ft Hunt Federals, the Mt. Vernon Magic, and the West Potomac varsity team that she co-captained during her senior year.
VISION
The Hannah Graham Memorial Tournament will honor the memory of Hannah and her love of life, learning, and softball. It will increase awareness within our community of the dangers of sexual violence and raise money for designated charitable groups. By educating our daughters, families, and friends about predatory behavior, we can protect our children from these horrors.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Fund, through an annual softball tournament, will raise money to financially support charitable groups designated by Hannah’s parents, John and Susan Graham.
These groups may include organizations which directly impacted Hannah’s life, organizations that have impacted the lives of Hannah’s family and friends, organizations that seek to educate about and stop sexual violence and/or support sexual violence survivors, and organizations that support at-risk youth.
All money raised through contributions to the Fund have been and will be given to the charities designated for support.
The Hannah Graham Memorial Tournament Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible.