Team Iron Will hosts Wiffle Ball tournament to support Down syndrome advocacy

Team Iron Will will bring Wiffle Ball back to St. Gianna Fields in Wentzville on Saturday, August 29, 2026, with a tournament built to draw both casual players and serious competitors. The second annual Family Fest and Wiffle Ball Tournament will split into recreational and competitive divisions before opening into a free community festival, all at St. Gianna Church, 450 East Hwy N, in Wentzville, Missouri.

The tournament portion will start at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Family Fest at 11:00 a.m. Admission to the festival will be free, and the day will fold together carnival games, a kids’ home run derby, face painting, balloon animals, snow cones, a raffle, a silent auction, and lunch and refreshments available for purchase. A free adaptive and therapeutic equipment swap will also be part of the event for the Down syndrome community.

Team Iron Will says the point is bigger than a ball field. Proceeds will go directly to therapy scholarships, medical and adaptive equipment, educational resources, and advocacy for people with Down syndrome. The organization has framed the Family Fest as a way to bring families, supporters, and the Down syndrome community together through a format that offers both entertainment and a real fundraising engine.

The Wiffle Ball setup is designed to lower the barrier to entry without watering down the competition. The recreational division will be open to players ages 10 and older and will use a gentleman’s slow-pitch rule, while the competitive division will be open to ages 16 and older with no speed restrictions. Teams must have three to four players, giving small groups a direct path into the bracket without needing a full roster.

Team Iron Will is partnering with NWA Wiffle Ball to run the tournament, and the event’s growth from its first year is showing up in the scale of the day itself. Early registration is set at $30 per team before July 31, then rises to $45 after that date, while sponsorships are being sold at levels that include a $10,000 Hall of Fame sponsor tier and a $5,000 MVP level. For a family festival centered on advocacy, that mix of accessible entry fees, sponsor support, and two separate divisions gives the event a reach a standard charity appeal usually cannot match.