BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It will be a softball game for the ages - for all ages, that is.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Generations Softball Classic on Oct. 17 is for kids, senior citizens and every age group in between. The Classic will feature top softball teams going head to head, a worthy cause and a memorial to the man who put softball on the map in Birmingham.

A fundraiser to support geriatric education and training for the UAB Center for Aging, the Generations Softball Classic will feature two exhibition games, one between the UAB Blazers Softball team and the Jefferson State Lady Pioneers and another between two teams representing the Birmingham Vipers Fastpitch Organization. And the event will honor the late Birmingham Vipers founder Jerry Shurbet.

Set for Saturday, Oct. 17 at George Ward Park at 11 a.m., the Classic will begin with a tribute to Shurbet and the game between the two Viper teams that win the Viper Challenge - a contest to raise the most money for the Center of Aging. Next comes the game between the Blazers and the Lady Pioneers. The Classic wraps up with a free, softball-skills clinic led by UAB Blazer Coach Marla Townsend and the UAB and Jefferson State coaching staffs for girls ages 8-18.

Shurbet's involvement in softball began when his oldest daughter asked the former college football player to coach her recreational team. Quickly enamored with the sport, Shurbet founded the Vipers in 1996 as a fast-pitch league for girls ages 10-16. The league since has become the area's preeminent softball organization, and more than 70 former players have played on college teams.

Shurbet was a supporter of the UAB Center for Aging and a patient in the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care until his death from cancer in 2007. The Generations Softball Classic honors Shurbet for his passion for softball and his abiding support for the Center for Aging.

Vendors will be on hand with the latest softball gear and equipment, UAB and Viper apparel for sale and health and wellness information for all ages.

Admission to the Classic is free, and donations to help support the UAB Center for Aging are welcome. For more information, call 205.975.5659.

About the UAB Center for Aging

The UAB Center for Aging is a world leader in creating and using knowledge that will optimize function, enhance management of illness, and reduce health disparities among older adults. The Center involves an interdisciplinary community of more than 200 faculty members and staff working together to promote the health and well-being of older persons and their families research; training students and faculty to conduct research; educating students and professionals; and supporting community programs and specialty patient care.