Yesterday's rains haven't dampened CSI Baseball's signature event from going off tonight.  In the midst of a fine 2015 season the College of Staten Island men's baseball campaign has been filled with plenty of excitement, but perhaps nothing will be more spirited or more rewarding as when the team takes the field for their 12th Annual Grace Hillery Breast Cancer Awareness Night tonight when they host the Drew University Rangers in a single non-conference affair at 7pm at the Tomas D. Morales Baseball Field. The initiative will see the Dolphins donning pink uniforms and will feature contests and raffles targeting a cause that the program has raised over $55,000 worth of support to in its eleven-year history. Last year's event raised over $6,500 for the cause. Z100's Bethany Watson, the Co-host of the station's Elvis Duran and the Morning Show will be on hand to help celebrate the event for the second consecutive year, and will toss the evening's opening pitch along with Allie Vreeland, a breast cancer patient undergoing treatment who has ties to the baseball program and head coach Michael Mauro.

Originating in 2004, the special evening serves to honor the memory of Grace Hillery, mother to former CSI student-athlete and baseball star Anthony Hillery, who passed away from the disease prior to the 2004 baseball season. Hillery went on to play for the Dolphins through the 2005 campaign and has since graduated CSI with a degree in History and Education. He is currently a teacher and baseball coach at Petrides High School and looks forward to returning to CSI to continue the highlighted event each year.

"It was my grandmother who felt that it would be better if our family could raise money for breast cancer awareness, in lieu of all the flowers we received at my mother's funeral," said Hillery. "I felt if I tied that idea into a baseball game dedicated to my mother, it would be a nice way of keeping her memory alive while raising money for a great cause like breast cancer research."

Funds generated from the event will be donated to Ms. Vreeland and the Staten Island Breast Cancer Research Initiative. Ms. Vreeland is the niece of Joe Saraceno, owner of One-on-One Sports Rehabilitation on Staten Island, and a major sponsor to the event each year. Mauro, an employee of One-on-One, has known Ms. Vreeland for some time, and is honored that his team has the chance to reach out during her time of need.

"To see a young woman going through what she is going through, anything you can do to help and make things easier is worthwhile," he said. "The money donated will help Allie and her family deal with the costs of treatment and rehabilitation, and the community's support for her and her family will go a long way in helping her understand that we are all fighting the disease alongside her, and she is not alone."

For many years, portions of the funds raised have gone to the SIBCRI as well. Made up from a collection of CSI academia and students, the organization is charged with developing a epidemiological history of the disease, raising community awareness, and focusing on new and advanced ways of battling the epidemic through biological testing. The grass-roots initiative, which was started on CSI's Willowbrook campus is specific to Staten Island, and focuses on Staten Island's environmental impact on breast cancer, and what people in the borough can do to protect themselves.

"I'm happy to have this event done each year in my mother's memory," Hillery said. "I never expected the event to continue like it has, let alone get bigger each year. I am honored to be just a small part of it at this point."

Last year, CSI raised another terrific amount of funds at the Tomas D. Morales Baseball Field, mostly through concessions, raffle tickets, donations and breast cancer awareness T-shirts. This year, raffle prizes include Major League Baseball memorabilia, gift baskets from local vendors like the Staten Island Furrier, video games, gift certificates and much more.

A rousing pre-game ceremony will take place before first pitch, explaining the event and honoring special guests. The ceremony will be followed by an official kick off to the fundraising, with a ceremonial check offered by the night's keynote sponsor, One on One Sports Rehabilitation. During the seventh inning stretch, Anthony Hillery will address the crowd as he does every season.

Z100's Watson, who greeted the fans, helped sell raffle tickets, and partially emceed the evening, working the crowd for the full 9 innings, enjoyed her experience at the ballpark a year ago, and recently discussed it on the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. A copy of the sound bite, heard nationally, can be heard HERE.

The game will be broadcast live through the internet via CSI SportsNet at www.csidolphins.com/watch and WSIA, at 88.9FM.

Admission to the event is free of charge. CSI matches up with Drew University for the fifth-straight year for the game. The Dolphins took a 7-4 come-from-behind win against the Rangers last year. Those who cannot attend the game but would still like to make a contribution, can do so by contacting the CSI Athletics Office at (718) 982-3169.