Nearly six years ago, Forney waschangedinaninstant at the conclusion of a dinner for Forney High School’s softball team. Emily Galiano, a 14-year-old freshman that year, was fatally run over in a tragic accident, leaving the team and the community at large heartbroken and in shock. Friends, teammates, and family came together to mourn the unspeakable loss of their daughter, sister, teammate, and friend. For the remainder of the season and in the seasons that have followed, the Lady Jackrabbits decided to dedicate their games to Emily, playing in her honor and living out the thing that brought Em so much joy. And in the true spirit of the Forney Family, the community rallied around the grieving Galiano family and the Jackrabbit softball team in the days to come, offering support in a number of ways. Through this support and in an effort to continue honoring the legacy of Emily Galiano, the Play for Em Foundation was born.
The Play for Em Foundation states on its website that its focus is on “helping make the world around us a better, happier place as we celebrate the life of Emily Galiano.” One of the ways the Foundation does this is by providing college scholarships with donations and funds raised throughout the year, with around $20,000 already in use by the last five years’ recipients.
Em wore the number 6 on the softball diamond, with her twin sister Madison wearing the number 5. As May 2023 marks 6 years since the loss of #6, the Play for Em Foundation plans to make this year’s annual fundraiser one to remember. With the players, fans, and stadium decked out in teal, Emily’s favorite color, Forney High School’s JV and Varsity softball teams will play against Red Oak on March 31. The JV team will play at 5:00pm, and Varsity will follow at 7:00pm, both games being held at Forney’s stadium located behind City Bank Stadium at Forney High School. The Jackrabbit Softball Program and the Play for Em Foundation invite the community to come join in on this event. During the evening, a ceremony will take place during which a check will be presented to Emily’s dad to benefit the Play for Em Foundation as it carries on Emily’s legacy.
Tickets to the games can be purchased for $4 online by visiting jackrabbitathletics. com/event-tickets. In addition to pregame purchases of Play for Em tshirts which can be made through a google form on the Forney Jackrabbit Softball Facebook page, those in attendance can also purchase them the night of the game. Raffle tickets can be purchased through a google form on the Forney Jackrabbit Softball Facebook page as well.
For more information on how to attend the Play for Em games or to make a donation to the organization, visit the Foundation’s website at www.playforem. org. Questions can also be directed to info@playforem. org or fhssoftball.boosters@gmail.com.
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