DeMarini, FORCE create Limited Edition CF Hope™ Fastpitch Bat

See the bat DeMarini and FORCE created to advocate for individuals impacted by hereditary cancer.

Designed to be a FORCE on the field, the 2023 DeMarini CF Hope™ Fastpitch Bat features the technology hitters expect along with a magenta colorway to raise awareness for hereditary cancers. The bat, based on the CF with its traditional light swing weight, forgiving feel and reliable performance, was designed in collaboration with FORCE – Facing Hereditary Cancer Empowered. Ten percent of revenues from the sale of Hope™ fastpitch bats will benefit FORCE and its mission to advocate for individuals impacted by hereditary cancers.

Karen Kramer, Senior Vice President of Marketing at FORCE, said the DeMarini CF Hope Fastpitch Bat empowers athletes to use sports as a vehicle for their mission to advocate for individuals and families impacted by hereditary cancers.

“Sports bring people together. Sports bring families together,” Kramer said. “Hereditary cancer does not just affect one family member. It affects multiple family members over many generations. Gene mutations are passed down from mothers and fathers to sons and daughters. The families in our community are just like a sports team. We suffer together, we overcome together, we grow together and we celebrate together.”

For DeMarini Global Marketing Director Jennette Rauch, the FORCE partnership is personal. Several members of Rauch’s family have been impacted by hereditary cancers, and genetic testing has been a valuable tool for her family to limit cancer risks. Through the CF Hope™, DeMarini supports FORCE’s mission to benefit other families impacted by such cancers.

“The work that FORCE does helps families like mine learn more about our risk and how to navigate the decisions that come out of that knowledge,” Rauch said. “I want to support this organization who is working to help families like mine. There is still so much research to do, awareness to generate and education to share.”

Kramer said the partnership with DeMarini, and the use of the CF Hope™ fastpitch bat on the field, will create awareness of hereditary cancer possible genetic mutations.  

“All of us at FORCE are humbled and grateful to be partnering with DeMarini in the creation of limited edition softball products. We are confident that this new relationship and the generosity of DeMarini will save lives,” Kramer said. “It will also allow FORCE to continue all of the education, support, awareness, advocacy and research programs that the hereditary cancer community relies on each and every day.”

Millions of people in the United States carry a genetic mutation that increases their risk of cancer, and as many as 90% of those people may be unaware of their risk. Testing for genetic mutations can help people find personalized medical options for treating, detecting or preventing cancer.

“FORCE is the voice of the hereditary cancer community,” Kramer said. “We work tirelessly every day to improve the lives of the millions of individuals and families facing hereditary cancer. We accomplish this through our education, support, advocacy and research efforts.”

For more information about FORCE’s mission and resources, visit their website at www.facingourrisk.org and follow their Instagram @facingourrisk.