08/30/2026
We are a little less than 2 weeks out from our 2nd annual Rounding Bases Raising Hope Coed Softball Tournament !
If you’re new here, let me tell you a little about this tournament and why it’s so special.
In November 2024, my cousin Andrew Lee Mattox Jr. was killed in a tragic incident. Obviously this was heartbreaking for his family and friends, but the most devastating part of this loss was his children, Taylor & Gunner.
Being only one person I knew physically, mentally, and financially there wasn’t a lot I could do, but I knew in my heart I could do a little for a lot of kids and families, like Andrew’s.
God gifted me the idea, ability, and opportunity to start Hope Comes in the Mourning to teach children that after a big loss, it’s okay to continue to live and be happy while still missing someone.
One of the biggest blessings HCITM has brought me and so many others is the Art for the Heart event. This is a youth grief art event hosted once a year by our organization, free for children who have experienced loss. Although free for participants, it isn’t free to put on. Therefore Rounding Bases Raising Hope was born, to raise funds specifically to support this art event. We have been so fortunate to be surrounded by people, families, businesses, and other organizations that assist in the development and operation of both our softball tournament and our art event.
All this to say - this tournament is fun but it also serves a very important purpose. When you show up for this tournament as a viewer or play on a team and everything in between, you’re helping us provide a special day of healing for a kid who is missing someone in Heaven.
If you read all of this thank you for listening. If you have had any part of this journey, you are more appreciated than you will ever understand. Thank you to everyone who has continued helping me make this God-given organization come to life.
— Winter Copen, founder of HCITM