RAPID CITY - Softball teams from seven states will be in town this weekend for the 13th annual Scheels Rushmore Classic.

The two-day tournament begins Saturday with games starting at 8 a.m. at Star of the West and Parkview Fields.

The tournament will feature 59 teams from South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Montana. The 59 teams that will participate is a high for the tournament.

"We had five teams that had to drop out last week for various reasons," said Kellen Steckler, an assistant store leader at Scheels in the Rushmore Mall. "We had a couple from Kansas and Iowa. But we had no touble filling their spots."

Teams ranging in age from U-10 to U-18 will participate in the tournament. Among the teams that will participate in the tournament are tournament host the Rapid City Flames, a local travelling ASA softball program, Steckler said.

Steckler said Scheels is becoming involved in the tournament this year as a way to give back to the community.

"Our company challenged us to come up with some kind of event, whether it was running or some kind of tournament," Steckler said. "Everything we earn from it goes back."

The tournament, Steckler said, is a fundraiser for the Flames program and funds raised will help cover the Flames' travel expenses throughout the summer. Steckler added that other money raised from the tournament will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network and a portion will be donated to the ASA.

Scheels is covering all costs of the tournament, and, Steckler said, the franchise hopes to make the tournament an ASA triple-crown qualifying tournament with 65 or 70 teams participating.

"We hope to make it as big as possible," Steckler said.