At the conclusion of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup, Athletes Unlimited, powered by Give Lively and the Give Lively Foundation, will make a grant equal to 100% of each competitor’s win bonus to the organization of their choice.
Throughout the AUSL All-Star Cup, we’ll spotlight athletes each week, sharing the personal stories behind the organizations they’re representing and the impact they hope to make both on and off the field.
2026 AUSL Rookie of the Year Reese Atwood selected Military Warriors Support Foundation, an organization her family has supported for years. Through her mother’s fundraising efforts and events hosted at her family’s ranch in South Texas, Atwood has had the opportunity to meet wounded veterans and see firsthand the impact the organization can have on military families.
A Family Connection
Q: Why was Military Warriors Support Foundation the organization you wanted to support?
Atwood: I chose Military Warriors Support Foundation because my family has worked with this organization for a while now. I feel like giving back to a community that risks their lives to protect our freedoms for our country is just really special for everyone.
In our area, there are a lot of people who have served, and we always had so much respect for them. This organization raises money and supports military warriors’ families by giving them homes and the things that they need. It was something that really caught our eye, and we wanted to help support.
Meeting the Warriors Behind the Mission
Q: What does it mean to you to help wounded veterans as they return home?
Atwood: That’s huge. I’ve actually gotten to meet a few of the wounded warriors that they’ve given things to and fundraised for through some of the events that we host.
I think just hearing their stories and being able to understand a different perspective on life and how grateful we should be as Americans just to be able to walk this country and have the freedoms that we have at the cost of people’s lives and people’s mobility and things that they can’t do now just to grant us that freedom.
Supporting Military Families
Q: How important is it to support Gold Star families and the families of wounded veterans as well?
Atwood: I think it’s so important. It’s incredibly difficult for those families to get back on their feet after loss, just like any other family.
Being able to support those families when they’re in need, and just being able to know that they have somebody to go to and have resources after losing a loved one, is just really important.
Something More to Play For
Q: What do you hope to achieve by choosing Military Warriors Support Foundation as your cause during the All-Star Cup?
Atwood: I’m hoping that I can do everything I can to give back to a community that means a lot to me. I’m hoping that people see this organization and are able to give back as well.
It means a lot to me just to be able to have a little bit more of a purpose. I think this All-Star Cup has brought that- being able to have something to play for. It gives a lot more meaning to the game.
Learn more about Athletes Unlimited’s Athlete Causes program.
Check back each week during the AUSL All-Star Cup as we spotlight a new athlete and the organization they’re supporting.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.