Going The Extra Inning In St. Louis, Mo.

By Ted Yemm

Published August 4, 2012 at 5:39 AM CDT

Marathon baseball players in St. Louis. A recent game helped raise more than $150,000 for a local charity.

This month we are collecting your stories about the good things Americans are doing to make their community a better place. Some of your contributions will become blog posts and the project will end with a story that weaves together submissions to make a story of Americans by Americans for Americans.

In the grips of one of the worst heatwaves in memory, 56 folks gathered this summer in St. Louis for a two-tiered mission: setting a world record for the longest baseball game ever played, but more importantly, raising money for and awareness of The Backstoppers, a local charity that assists families of injured or deceased firefighters and police officers.

The brainchild of World Record Charity Events — founded by Chuck Williams and Steve Pona — the marathon lasted more than 60 hours. Teams combined for 451 runs, 639 hits and 155 errors. But more importantly, the game raised more than $150,000.

Ted Yemm is a physical therapist and athletic trainer. He listens to KWMU in St. Louis.