Softball tournament in memory of Hannah Graham raises thousands for charity

A new softball tournament is raising money in honor of Hannah Graham, a 2013 West Potomac High School graduate who was murdered while attending college at the University of Virginia.

The Hannah E. Graham Softball Tournament will be held this Saturday and Sunday at various fields in the Richmond Highway area. The tournament has been organized by the Mount Vernon Magic travel softball club, which Graham played for while growing up.

A GoFundMe page for the tournament has already raised more than $11,000. According to the page, all proceeds will go to two charities selected by Graham’s parents: Habitat for Humanity International and the Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group.

The tournament’s opening ceremony is 7 p.m. Saturday at West Potomac. Graham’s father, her high school softball coach and her travel softball coach are scheduled to speak.

Jesse Matthew pleaded guilty in March of abducting and killing Graham after crossing paths with her at a Charlottesville bar in September 2014. At the same hearing he also pleaded guilty to abducting and murdering another college student in 2009. He was sentenced to four life terms in prison.