BUTLER TWP — Message sent, received — and executed.

The third annual Strikes and Spikes Co-Ed Volleyball Tournament took place Thursday at the Butler High School gym. The event — part of the weekend Potter Baseball Tour stop in Butler this weekend — benefitted cancer-stricken youths Jamie Purper and Wesley Zablocki.

Purper, 13, is a Baltimore (Md.) resident battling brain cancer. Her twin brother, Tyler, plays baseball on the Potter Tour and participated in the volleyball tourney.

Zablocki, 10, of East Butler has a form of bone cancer. He is playing baseball for East Butler this season.

“These are great kids from great families and it's a horrible thing that happens,” former Butler High girls volleyball coach Meghan Lucas said. “When someone from your community faces hardship, you surround them and support them.

“The message to kids, through an event like this, is that's what you need to do.”

Eight co-ed volleyball teams, ranging in age from seventh grade through college, contributed $100 per squad to compete Thursday. Each squad was given a Potter Tour baseball player as a teammate well.

The bulk of the players in the tournament were current or former Butler High boys and girls volleyball players.

“These (Potter) boys have no idea what they're doing out there,” Potter Tour manager Jeff Potter said. “That's what makes it fun. They're learning on the fly and they get into it.

“Part of what we do is get kids to experience new things and learn how to pitch in to help each other.”

The Potter Tour has two different groups of kids and combines to make 43 stops each summer in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia.

“We do charitable fundraisers like this on at least half of those stops,” Potter said. “We'll probably raise $1,500 or so for the families of those two kids.”

No trophy or prize money went to the winning team — only the satisfaction of helping a good cause while getting on the court with friends and in some cases, former teammates once again.

Two former Butler players who are now college seniors — Brynn Maxwell and Jocelyn Bachman — came back for the third straight year to participate in the tourney.

When players weren't playing, they were officiating or keeping score.

Gabby Carney will be a senior on the Golden Tornado girls volleyball team this fall. She made a college visit to Youngstown State on Friday and returned from Dallas last week after competing in the Girls Junior National Championships.

Between all of that, Carney worked for two months to organize this year's Strikes and Spikes Tournament.

“I got a lot of kids to put together teams, found sponsorships ... It's worthwhile because it's a lot of fun for a good purpose,” Carney said.

“The baseball kids get to experience another sport and it's fun teaching them and watching them get better.”

Players also contributed money to enter a serving contest to win donated prizes. They operated a concession stand as well.

“It's a unique event in that it brings boys and girls together on the court. They adjust to each other's skills rather quickly,” volunteer DJ Tom Menchyk said. “They're out here for a common good and that's great to see.”

Lucas particularly enjoyed it.

“You go through all of those years of intensity that goes with coaching ... drills, practices, conditioning, etc. ... It's nice to come here and watch all those kids I've coached just having fun playing the game,” she said.