Field of Friends
WEST SUNBURY — Softball will honor the memory of Dan Farren, though his life was about so much more.
Tae kwon do, oil painting, piano, kick boxing, water skiing, scuba diving, snowboarding, Toughman fighting, modeling ... you name it, he was into it.
Then it was taken away.
"The man had no fear," Farren family friend Stacey Hobaugh said. "Dan wasn't afraid of anything. He would try anything once."
While deep-sea fishing two years ago in Charleston. S.C., Farren took ill on the boat and died.
He was 27, in good health and great physical condition. An autopsy was done, toxicology reports completed, but no cause of death was determined."We still don't know," Doris Farren, his mother said. "We're still trying to find out. Dan has a younger brother (Vance), so if it's something genetic, we want the information."And if he didn't die of natural causes, we'd like to know."While Farren's death is unresolved, his life was filled with resolve — and his spirit won't go away.The second annual Dan Farren Memorial Softball Tournament is taking place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the West Sunbury ball fields. Proceeds from the event go to a scholarship program in Farren's name.Three Moniteau graduates continuing their education — Hobaugh, Ross Groom and Erin Dillaman — became the first $500 Farren scholarship recipients earlier this year.Groom has been accepted into the pre-med program at Clarion (Pa.) University. Dillaman is receiving her doctorate in physical therapy from Slippery Rock University, and Hobaugh is a graduate student at the Shadyside School of Nursing.Like Hobaugh, Dillaman knew Dan Farren personally."Our families have been friends through the church forever," Dillaman said. "You never knew what Dan was gonna get into next."I think of him and I just want to better myself. Dan makes you want to explore. I hope I can be half as active as he was in the short time he was here. He accomplished so much."While living in Charleston, Farren rekindled an interest in playing guitar. He was contracted for local TV commercial work and played a small part in the TV program "Army Wives."
He was being considered for the show "Survivor" at the time of his death and was posthumously given the Role Model Award in 2007 by the American Modeling and Talent Convention.Memories of Farren were very much alive last year when his Moniteau graduating class of 1998 was planning its 10-year reunion."He was my homecoming escort. We were really good friends," Julia Szazynski said. "Dan had tons of friends. When we were all in high school, we used to convene at a friend's house on weekends, after school, skip days or whatever and play softball. That's how we hung out."I thought it'd be fun if a few of us got together the day after our class reunion last summer and play softball. It'd be a fun way to spend the day together thinking about Dan, sharing stories about him, including him in our reunion."More than a few people showed up to play softball. Once word got around, Adam Hobaugh, one of the game's organizers, realized one game wasn't going to be enough."We had 40 people who wanted to play," he said. "Another two volunteered to umpire, a few more ran a concession stand, and we turned it into a tournament."Since Dan's parents were starting that scholarship, we decided to contribute to that cause as well."
The impromptu tournament raised $2,000 toward the Farren scholarship program."Dan believed strongly in education as a tool in life and we wanted to keep his memory alive," Mrs. Farren said."Being awarded one of his scholarships is such an honor to me, because I know how much Dan valued education," Stacey Hobaugh said. "He believed people should do all they could in life. He was a real go-getter and he used education to learn how to live."Players and teams of all ages, male and female, are welcome to join the second Dan Farren Memorial Softball Tournament this weekend.Tournament director Adam Hobaugh can be reached at 724-201-0420 or send an email to Julesyeve3@aol.com to sign up individually or as a team.Donations are $10 per player or $100 per 10-person team for the slow-pitch event.Two or three fields will be available and the type of tournament — double-elimination, round-robin, etc. — will be based on number of teams entered."Dan was competitive, but he loved to have fun," Adam Hobaugh said. "So we're running this as a fun tournament. We encourage coed teams, but we accept all-female teams, all-male, everyone is welcome."We supply the softballs. Guys will hit softer balls, girls will hit harder ones to make the games fair."Pre-registration is not required, "but is definitely appreciated," Hobaugh added.He laughed when thinking of memories of Farren."His smile was infectious," Hobaugh said. "Nobody could put a smile on your face like that guy could. You couldn't help but be happy when you were around him."That's why he was so popular. That's how this tournament happened."
<B>WHAT: </B>Second annual Dan Farren Memorial Softball Tournament, with proceeds benefitting a scholarship fund in Farren's name. Male and female players of all ages are welcome.<B>WHEN: </B>10 a.m. Saturday<B>WHERE: </B>West Sunbury ballfields<B>INFO: </B>Register by calling Adam Hobaugh at 724-201-0420 or sending an e-mail to Julesyeve3@aol.com. Donations are $10 per player or $100 per 10-person team for the slow-pitch event.
