With so many traditional events being called off this year, we would be remiss not to call attention to the efforts of Paws Along The River and the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry for their work to keep two more events from falling by the wayside.

On Saturday, Paws Along The River held its 28th annual Michael J. Kolos Memorial Softball Tournament to raise money for the humane society. In August, the 41st annual Terry F. Ristau Memorial Softball Tournament will be held, also at Betts Park, to raise money for the United Fund of Warren County.

The 2020 editions of these tournaments won’t be carbon copies of past tournaments.

While masks and social distancing weren’t required of players, distancing is enforced for spectators and for teams when they aren’t playing. Bleachers were being taped off, with spectators bringing their own seating and being expected to social distance. Other gathering areas are also being restricted. The Ristau tournament, meanwhile, changed some of its divisions to decrease the number of teams coming into Warren County.

City officials have worked with tournament organizers to help make the events possible. As a result, two organizations will be able to raise money that they otherwise wouldn’t have raised — and, by extension, help people and animals they otherwise couldn’t have helped.

It would have been easy for WCCBI and Paws Along The River to simply throw up their hands and walk away from their tournaments this year. We’re glad they didn’t.