When he was given the news, Levy said the first person he contacted was a woman he described as “a strong and courageous lady.” Her name was Chrissy Strong-Marshall.
“On a personal level, I first met Chrissy while I was a lieutenant assigned to the West Division,” Levy told the Signal Tribune via email. “She helped the LBPD accomplish many of our missions by providing programs such as Snow in the Park [and] Movies in the Park and bringing mobile recreation equipment into the neighborhoods to improve the quality of life to many under-served youth and families.”
Born and raised in Lakewood, California, Strong-Marshall was the community recreation services manager of the Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine Department before passing away from cancer in 2009.
Her determination to serve the community inspired Levy and two other police officers to create the National Law Enforcement Cancer Support Foundation (NLECSF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals in the law-enforcement community dealing with cancer.
To help those affected by the illness, Levy and his foundation will be hosting the sixth annual charity event called the Chrissy Strong-Marshall Memorial Kickball Tournament to remember Strong-Marshall, and to donate all the proceeds to the City of Hope hospital and the NLECSF.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”250px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-29-at-1.44.09-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Some of Chrissy Strong-Marshall’s colleagues who formed a kickball team last year called Chrissy’s Rec ‘n’ Crew, in honor of the woman who had served as community recreation services manager of the Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine Department before passing away from cancer in 2009″ captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off”] Sixteen teams consisting of 16 players will compete in the tournament on Saturday, Jan. 21 on the baseball fields of El Dorado Park from 8am to 6pm.
The teams are made up of Long Beach city officials and departments. For example, the Long Beach City Attorney’s Office, the Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine and the City Auditor’s Office are just some of the teams that have signed up to play in the tournament.
The Long Beach Gas and Oil team is the current defending champion of the most recent tournament, and its members have signed up to play in the upcoming one as well.
Teams interested in playing must pay a $250 registration fee, which will be collected for the charity. Alongside the tournament, there will be a kid’s fun zone for families and silent auctions as well.
Gabriel Cruz, a recreational assistant for the Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine Department, said that members of the community can get involved by purchasing a sponsorship. Levy also mentioned that community members not affiliated with municipal departments can attend the tournament to cheer the teams on and have a free barbecue lunch provided by the Long Beach Officers Association.
Levy said that Strong-Marshall worked with the City for 19 years, advocating equal inclusion and quality recreational activities.
“That is what Chrissy was all about,” he said.
To become a sponsor or make a donation, citizens and business owners can call Levy at (562) 577-5874.
