Although they already demonstrated their superiority over 63 other teams, the Lawn Wranglers, this year’s Congressional softball champions, say they want one more matchup.

Against the Senate’s championship softball team, Hawk ‘n’ Dove.

“We’re battle-tested and ready to defend the House’s honor,” said Tony Essalih, deputy chief of staff for Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) and member of the Lawn Wranglers. “The victory seems a little bit incomplete until we beat the Senate champion.”

Hawk ‘n’ Dove, sponsored by the Capitol Hill bar of the same name, captured the Senate championship in September.

“I think we’d be interested,” said Paul Meagher, manager of the Hill bar that sponsors the team. “We’ll see what happens.”

The Lawn Wranglers earned their first-ever Congressional softball championship Oct. 1 by scoring a 16-4 victory in the championship game over 2003 champions the Resolutionaries, sponsored by the nonprofit Search for Common Ground.

The Lawn Wranglers is made up of staffers from the offices of Reps. Culberson, Kay Granger (R-Texas), Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Mike McCaul (R-Texas).

The Insliders, representing Van Scoyoc Companies, and the Wild Hawks, made up of staffers from the office of Rep. Jim Ryun (R-Kan.), came in third and fourth, respectively.

Aside from practice and teamwork, the Lawn Wranglers say their victory is due to support from Essalih’s 7-year-old pug, Gus.

Often, Gus would sport a yellow bandana around his neck and cheer on his team from the benches.

“He’s been the Lawn Wranglers’ biggest fan and supporter all season,” Essalih said. “He made it to every tournament game. So there’s no question. We wouldn’t have won without him.”

Feast Raises Funds for Victims of Katrina

Looking for good food and a good cause? You can have both tonight at the National Building Museum, when 50 chefs from around the country cook up a feast to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The event, sponsored by anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength, will send 100 percent of its proceeds to rebuild food banks in the Gulf Coast region that were destroyed by the storm.

“Share Our Strength is responding to this tragedy by doing what we do best,” said Bill Shore, founder and executive director of Share Our Strength. “Against a catastrophe of this scale, it sometimes seems impossible to do anything that feels significant, but it’s also clear that every effort helps.”

The event is being held from 7 to 10 p.m. For more event details and to purchase tickets, go to www.strength.org. For more information, call (202) 478-6527.
— Elizabeth Brotherton and Scott Hechinger