The 3^rd Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament was played on June 10^th at the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City. The event was hosted by ColumbiaUniversity and sponsored by George Steinbrenner and Alex Rodriquez of the New York Yankees, with all proceeds benefiting pediatric brain tumor research. This year’s competing teams included the Departments of Neurosurgery from eight of the nation’s top medical centers - Columbia, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, NYU, University of Pennsylvania, Albert Einstein, and Mt. Sinai. This year, the University of Pennsylvania claimed the championship after sliding by Columbia 13-10 in the finals, while Mt. Sinai finished in third place. The championship trophy, named "The J. Lawrence Pool Memorial Trophy" in honor of the former Columbia chairman, will be housed at The University of Pennsylvania during the upcoming year.

 

Organized by Ricardo J. Komotar, M.D., a neurosurgery resident at Columbia University, this tournament has raised nearly $100,000 for the Columbia University Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund (www.KidsBrainResearch.org). The planning has already begun for the games to continue next year on June 9, 2007 at the 4^th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament.

 

 

 

2006 Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament Champions – University of Pennsylvania (top row, left to right: Santiago Figuereo, Donald O'Rourke, Suresh Magge, Kevin Judy, M. Sean Grady, Eric Jackson, Nathan Ranalli, Neil Malhotra, Kareem Zaghloul, Richard Roberts, Eric Zager, Paul Marcotte, Jim Schuster. front row, left to right: Greg Heuer, Michael Stiefel, Michael Smith, Shabbar Danish)