Mission500 starts annual security softball game

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.—Mission 500 is hosting an Annual Security Industry Softball Game here on Sept. 12; the goal is to raise $100,000 to help U.S. children in need.

In six weeks, Mission 500 has raised half of its goal—$50,000. The event already has more than a dozen sponsors lined up, and Mission 500 is still looking for more.

This event will include “not just people in the security market, but also those people who support us—such as Reed [Exhibitions], SIA … our PR groups—anybody involved with the industry as a whole,” Janet Fenner, Mission 500 executive board member and director of marketing for Samsung, told Security Systems News.

Each sponsor, above a certain level, gets one player on the field, Fenner explained. There are a total of 30 spots—15 per team.

Ridgefield Park was chosen for its tri-state location, convenient for many security industry businesses with offices in the area.

Fenner pitched the idea at this year's ISC West, George Fletcher, Mission 500 advisory board member, told SSN.

After the Security 5k/2k, Mission 500's annual ISC West race, “we kept thinking: What's next? Rather than wait [until] next year for the next 5k, what can we do to keep driving awareness about what we're doing for poverty in the U.S.?” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said that, if the event hits its goal, he would dye his hair orange—in support of Mission 500's social media-based #ShowOrange campaign.

For more information on this event, contact Jeff Eichenlaub by email at jeichenl@worldvision.org, or by phone at 631.219.8728.

Sponsors currently include ADI, Altronix, Axis, Campus Safety: SSI, Monitronics, OnSSi, Reed Exhibitions, SIA, Samsung, SSN, HID, Pelco, Wynit and Veracity.