MOOSEHEART, IL, July 17 - For one solid hour on Friday evening, every one of 20 Mooseheart tee-ball players took swings, got base hits and ran the bases. Every now and again, there was a play made on a ball that had been hit.

But when it came time to announce the final score of the first-ever Mooseheart Tee Ball World Series, there was only one possible outcome:  "After a close look at the scoring, we decided it was a tie," Mooseheart Executive Director and tee ball pitcher Scott Hart said.

That's probably the fairest result anyway, because from the frequent and nonstop smiles, to the glee in receiving their certificates afterward, it was clear that everyone considered themselves winners anyway.

"I think the people who came out today enjoyed watching the kids play," Hart said. "They got to see their skill and their excitement for baseball. For those who were around for all six weeks, it was fun for them to see the improvement in their skills and their baseball knowledge."

The league was made of children aged 3 to 7, and competition took place three times a week since early June. Some of the players were residents of Mooseheart and others were the children of Mooseheart employees. Older Mooseheart students such as Kristen Thornburg and Damion Moore, who will be high school seniors this fall, lent helping hands.

"The kids wanted to put on a good show," Hart said. "You caught them, a couple of times, hitting the ball and looking back to see who was watching them. The crowd's enthusiasm really added to the enthusiasm here."

The contest was viewed by a number of members of the Mecca 9 (IL) Moose Legion unit, which provided the money from which Hart purchased the campus' tee-ball equipment. Bats, ball, helmets, bases and the tee all came from funds generated by Moose Legionnaires.

"The Moose Legion is an organization of service," Hart said. "They serve quietly. So often, even in something like this, they don't wait to be asked. They asked what was needed for the kids. Mecca 9 stepped up and said 'we'll help start this running.'"

Certificates handed out after the game honored not only serious exploits such as the fastest swing or the hardest hit but also an Astronomy Award for Best Stargazing. Every player received a certificate and a prize for their participation.

Mecca 9 also provided gifts for each participant in the league following the World Series contest. The day was capped by a cookout for the players of both teams, Moose Legionnaires, and those who came to cheer the teams as they competed.

"Everybody won," Mecca 9 Secretary Rich Kalensky said. "Just to see the joy in their faces - it's really good. The volunteers really deserve a 'thank you' too. We supplied the money, but the volunteers came out to help with this."

2009 Mooseheart Tee Ball Awards:
Josiah Daneels: Most Tackles(!) and Most Improved Swing Nathan Hayden: Most Intense and Best Batting Stance Grace Randich: Best Eye on the Ball and Most Improved Gracie Hart: Biggest Hit Alyssa Perry: Fastest Swing and Best Contact Hitter Margaret McKinnis: Sweetest Swing and Most Likely to Play Third Base Every Inning Joshua Dunn: Power Hitter and Most Likely to Know What Inning It Is Daisy McDiarmid: Best Running Form and Best Smile Ryan Perry: Fielding the Most Positions During An Inning Jonah Hart: Trying to Hit a Home Run Every At-Bat Award and Best (and only) Left-Handed Hitter David McKinnis: Small Player-Big Hitter Award Audrey Goodrich: Most Likely to Hit the First Pitch and Never Thrown Out at First Base Award Christian Wells: Farthest Thrown Bat Award and Most Likely to be Tackled by Josiah Daneels Award Amber Hayden: Hardest Hit Evelyn Rizzato: Most Trips to the Restroom During One Inning Award and Best Clover Picker Award John McKinnis: Positive Attitude Award and Power Batter Award Andrue Cunningham: Toughest Baseball Player Award and Best Fielder Award NuNu McDiarmid: Fastest Base Runner Award and Most Likely to Tell You a Story Award Breya Glover: Astronomy Award for Best Star Gazing and Best Home Run Trot Award Cloe Casey: Best Hitter Off The Tee Award and Most Likely To Laugh While Batting Award Izabelle Goodrich: Best Coach in the Field Award and Most Likely to Field a Ground Ball Award

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,800 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S. , Canada , Great Britain and Bermuda . Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.
  
Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.
  
Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.
  
Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 230 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.
  
In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville , FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.
  
Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.mooseintl.org , www.mooseheart.org., www.moosehaven.org, or call 630-966-2229.