Fresno State sororities battle Friday, March 31, in the annual Sigma Nu Softball Tournament that benefits United Cerebral Palsy of Central California.

The tournament — a double elimination format among six local Pan-Hellenic sororities — will be from 9:30 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. at the California State University, Fresno Intramural Softball Fields (Barstow Avenue east of Cedar Avenue).

The six sororities competing are Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Phi Mu.

Sigma Nu fraternity members will coach and umpire. A DJ will provide music during the tournament, which is free and open to the public.

The sorority teams pay a $70 registration fee to compete and buy t-shirts for $15. The tournament generated $1,700 last year and $1,200 in 2004.

The event also will feature a Coin Drop, where sororities can contribute their spare change to help build their point total toward the overall winner.

Sponsors are Tornino’s, Morrow Group and Powerhorse.

Awards will be presented for Overall Winner, Tournament Winner and Best Spirit. The Overall Winner is based on a point system which incorporates the finishing place, spirit, number of T-shirts purchased and points from the coin drop.

The softball tournament for UCP is rooted in Sigma Nu tradition, said Marshall Andrews, eminent commander of the Zeta Kappa Chapter. The event is the fraternity’s major philanthropy event nationally, he said.

“In years past, we have been able to make decent contributions to the community and have a good time doing it,” Andrews said. “The event also helps to bring the brotherhood of our chapter together, the sisterhood of the sororities together and the relations between our chapter and the sororities together. In essence, we come together to help out the community.”

For more information, call 559.225.2970 or e-mail sunburn751vahoo.com.