JEFFERSON TWP — A reunion is coming to Laura Doerr Park.

It's not a family or a high school class reunion. This is a softball community reunion, courtesy of the Citrus Park Seniors Softball League in Bonita Springs, Fla.

The event, known as the Good Neighbour Games, features softball games from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 20 to 21 at the park. There will be 272 players age 55 and older from all over the United States and Canada.

"This basically serves as our summer reunion," said Butler resident and Games chairman Sam Litz. "All of us live in the Citrus Park community during the winter months and play in an organized softball league there."

That league has 22 men's teams and eight women's squads. The 21-game regular season runs from Jan. 12 through March.

When winter ends, community and league members return to their respective hometowns.

The Good Neighbour Games were formed six years ago as a means for the Citrus Park winter residents to catch up with each other.

The event was first held in Canada and was known as the Can-Am Games, with a Canada vs. United States format. Since then, the host site has rotated yearly between a Canadian town and a Michigan town.

Participation grew to the point that organizers divided players into teams and played a weekend schedule.

"We got to talking one day and I thought it'd be nice if we got a chance to host these games," said co-chairwoman Polly Lewis, who lives near Kittanning. "Sam and I started looking for a facility big enough to hold it.

"We needed three fields. I couldn't find anyplace in Kittanning or Ford City, and Sam came up with Laura Doerr Park.

Lewis had never played organized softball until she and husband Bill began spending their winters in Citrus Park. Now she's been playing for 10 years.

"You get a tour of the gated community when you first move in and learn of all the activities there," Lewis said. "You see those softball fields and they're just gorgeous. You watch a couple of the senior citizen games and you want to join in the fun."

Allison Park resident Bob Basick, 78, played organized softball in Murrysville for years. He and wife Louise have spent winters in Citrus Park since 1991.

"You build quite a bond down there," Basick said. "This is the first time we've participated in the Good Neighbour Games because it's so close to home this year, but I can see how it's become so popular."

Besides playing softball, 83 of the players have signed up for a golf outing at Krendale that weekend. The festivities will conclude with a banquet that Saturday night at Holiday Hall.

Teams are put together for the weekend based on player ratings of 1 through 11, with 1 being the best and 11 the worst.

"Each team is slotted the same amount of 1's, 2's, etc., as close as we can get," Litz said. "That keeps the teams even in terms of ability."

Litz's wife Georgia has assisted him in preparing for this event. Sarver resident Tom Sowinski is in charge of forming the teams.

Litz insists the games are played for fun, and Lewis agreed — to a point.

"I don't care how much fun you have, the competitive spirit is still in there," she said.