The Superdraft started in 2011, basically as a tournament to get area players, play the game again. I started it with only one sponsor - Nate Milleman, owner of Nathans Patio in Canton, Ohio. The first one only had 89 players made up of mostly local Stark County players. We raised a little over $1000 to be donated to Make-a-Wish foundation. In 2012, I once again ran the tourney by myself gaining a few additional sponsors and signing up 156 players. We raised almost $4000 for the Canton Challengers baseball team.

2013 was a year of transformation. The tournament grew to the point that I assigned a board of directors and gained 12 sponsors and 169 players. We raised $9000 to be donated to Mended Little Hearts of Northeast Ohio. This was the 1st year the tourney was extra special to me. My son Kaiden was born with a heart defect named Tetralogy of Fallot, it opened my eyes that I could do more for these kids and their families. Me and my wife along with a few others have made it a goal since that day to make this the biggest and best event around.

In 2014, we exceeded our goal and raised over $16,000 and had over 200 players signup to play. Players from all over Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York come to the event. We have received numerous compliments for doing this. But the reward is seeing the kids and the families we help.

In 2014, we started a separate process of this fundraiser. We take a local family Christmas shopping. Our mission is to provide a great event for all participants, with the reward being, seeing these kids smile. I can't say everyones name that has helped with this event but my wife Christine Gardner has been awesome, my vice president, Mike Horton, has put this as his main goal to grow the event, board members Joe Moore, Lenny Vance and Jared Poling have put a lot of effort into growing the event as well.

I have had cash offers to move this event to another city but one of my main goals was to keep this event in Stark County where I grew up playing the game. Kaiden will take this event over some day and I want it to stay in our roots. I have high hopes for the future of this tournament, it is a fun tournament, competition is great, we get players from rec level to B level conference players. We have had professional softball players enter the event. We want to spread awareness for children with congenital heart disease.

Every year the winning team is invited back and they get to wear the Kaidens Army gear and they get to go on the list of Kaidens Army Alumni. which will be posted at the Stark County Softbal Hall of Fame when I get my induction.

                                                                 Founder and President,

                                                                 Jack Gardner