Baseball and softball fields around Cranberry Township were abuzz with activity last weekend, with dozens of township neighborhoods and businesses coming together for a good cause.

They were going to bat for the annual Cranberry Community Uniting People (CUP), which aims to help township families dealing with the hardships associated with medical issues.

In its 20th year, the event began as a battle of township neighborhoods in a weekend-long softball tournament.

Businesses were added to the mix a few years later.

In recent years, the CUP has grown into something much bigger, with golf outings serving as additional fundraisers.

An annual wine event also has been added, and the first weekend in August features a large kickoff party to begin the weekend’s festivities.

Through registration fees, raffles and sponsorships, the CUP has raised more than $2 million since its inception.

Organization leaders note that all of that money has stayed in the township to directly help members of the community.

It goes without saying, but the values the CUP represents are what makes communities like Cranberry Township great.

Through financial donations and hours of volunteering, residents are doing their part to make sure their neighbors aren’t alone as they battle health-related challenges.

Although they don’t expect anything in return, there certainly is a peace of mind associated with the event that if ever the tables are turned, the community will be there to help them just the same.

While the financial impact is assuredly a major help to those in need, the organization’s greater impact was on full display during last weekend’s opening ceremonies.

Teams gathered Saturday morning in Community Park, decked out in their colorful uniforms. Township officials were on hand, many smiling at the large turnout.

A township fire truck escorted the event’s “inspirational family” to the ceremony. A local men’s chorus sang as America’s colors were presented.

All were donating their time, gathering on a hot August day to work toward a common goal. While the day’s games were certainly competitive and fun, there was an added notion that each at-bat or stolen base meant something a little more than wins and losses.

As township Supervisor Mike Manipole told the gathered crowd, whichever team had the most runs and ended up with a trophy at the end of the day would not define winners and losers for that day.

Instead, everyone who took time out of a gorgeous weekend to participate was a winner because they were putting someone else’s needs first.

That mentality defines the type of people who live in the township and the county as a whole.

In challenging times, residents should know that they likely won’t even have to ask for help, as their neighbors are at the ready to assist however they can.

It’s what makes living and working here so great, and perhaps provides a blueprint that other parts of the country can mimic.