Joe DiCicco says he sometimes cannot believe that his "Striking Out Cancer in the Berkshires" baseball event is in its fifth year. "Honestly, no I did not" think the event would get this big, DiCicco said. "I just did it on a whim five years ago because I lost my wife. I wanted to do something for her. The baseball guy that I am, I said everybody has a golf tournament, so let's do something different. "I'm finding out it's the only event of its kind in the Northeast." The fifth annual event will be held on Saturday, June 28, on Buddy Pellerin Field at Clapp Park. The event begins at 9 a.m., and will continue until everybody playing runs out of steam or the sun sets — whichever comes first. The hope is that in 2025, there will not be rain as there was a year ago. Despite the somewhat inclement conditions, the event raised more money than it ever had. DiCicco said the event, which raised $10,400 for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, is on its way toward at least equaling last year's total. He told The Eagle that with a little more than a week until they take to the diamond, he's about halfway to that number. "Last year, we raised $10,400 and as we stand right now, we have $5,000, so I'm pretty excited," he said. "I don't really have a goal. Like I always say, I just say I reach for the stars." For a $10 donation, players can compete for as long as he or she wishes. The day begins with the age 50-and-over group starting at 9 a.m. Last year, DiCicco said there were 25 in that age group, so he is optimistic that number will grow. A softball game for women's players will begin a bit after 10, when the first baseball game is over. That will be followed by what DiCicco calls the "younger kids," players ages 16-50. The day will be capped off by a regular-season baseball game between the two Pittsfield Post 68 Senior American Legion teams. That game is scheduled for 3 p.m. "They're going to play a league game between each other. It's going to count," he said. "They'll play around 3 p.m. "Mike Massery came up to me, and I said sure, let's do it. I'm game for anything." UNICO members will be at Clapp Park all day cooking up hamburgers and hot dogs for players and spectators. Krispy Kone of Lanesborough will bring a trailer down to serve up ice cream and other treats. In addition, DiCicco said Patriot Pop will bring its popcorn kettle to West Housatonic Street, and he said that 30 percent of the profits from selling kettle corn will be donated. Striking Out Cancer in the Berkshires will begin its festivities Sunday, when the event's annual party will be held at the Sideline Saloon on Fenn Street in Pittsfield. Dan Gingras will provide live music, and the World Series championship trophy the Boston Red Sox won in 2018 will be on display. The Red Sox have also provided an autographed baseball that will be part of a silent auction held on June 28. In addition to the baseball, four tickets to a Worcester Red Sox game will be on the auction block.