8th annual wiffleball tournament keeps Preston Cope’s memory alive

A wiffleball tournament benefitting the Preston Cope Foundation, a nonprofit honoring the late teenager by offering scholarships to Marshall County senior students, was held at the Calvert City baseball field today.

Preston Cope was killed in the Marshall County High School shooting of 2018. Since his death, his mother Theresa Cope has undertaken many endeavors to ensure her son is remembered, such as writing a book celebrating the boy’s life, and hosting annual wiffleball tournaments benefitting other students in honor of Preston who loved the sport.

This year marked the 8th annual Preston Cope Wiffle Ball Tournament. Teams from across the region turned out in support, including college teams like the Shawnee College Saints and Murray State Racers, who joined the fun playing in a competitive division.

Theresa Cope spoke to Local 6 about the importance of the event and how it benefits the community.

“We have this every year to celebrate and honor Preston and his love for wiffle ball. The community comes out, and we just want to celebrate and enjoy the game that he loved,” she said. “We do this to raise funds for the Preston Cope Foundation. We’ve given 202 scholarships to date, and all of the funds go to the Preston Cope Foundation.”

She added that they don’t only award scholarships but also give to nonprofits such as Marcella’s Kitchen and the Bed Ministry.

“It’s always a lot of fun, and we love seeing everyone’s support,” she said.

She said it’s fun to see everyone laughing and enjoying their time throughout the day and shared some details about the next book in her series honoring Preston’s life.