East Boston Little League will open season April 28
By Cary Shuman
Do not be misled by the unseasonably cold temperatures. It is, in fact, the middle of April and that means the East Boston Little League (EBLL) baseball season is around the corner.
Chucky Cassaro, beginning his fifth year as EBLL president, has announced that Opening Day ceremonies for the 2018 season will be on Saturday, April 28, at Noyes Park.
The festivities, part of which consists of team photos being taken, will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a complimentary lunch of barbecued hot dogs, soft drinks, and potato chips. There will be two Major League games and two Minor League games beginning at 1 p.m. The Senior League will start its season the following week.
“We’re inviting Mayor Walsh to throw out the first ball of the season,” said Cassaro, while noting that State Rep. Adrian Madaro, City Councillor Lydia Edwards, and State Sen. Joseph Boncore are also on the list of invited dignitaries.
Dr. Richard Gilbride, an East Boston dentist, is returning for his fifth season as an officer in the league.
“We’re looking forward to a good season, with our staff of coaches helping the young players get a better grasp of the fundamentals and rules of baseball and appreciate all this great sport has to offer,” said Cassaro. “We’ve been waiting for the warm weather to arrive so we can get out there and play.”
Cassaro said he was grateful to Kayem Foods of Chelsea for donating hot dogs for the Opening Day barbecue, and McDonald’s and First Priority Credit Union for donating soft drinks and potato chips.
Major and Minor League games this season will be played at Noyes Park (Tony Conigliaro Field) and Al Festa Field. Senior League games will be played at Noyes Park. East Boston will compete in the Distirct 12 Williamsport Tournament against teams from Everett, Malden, Melrose, Medford, and Somerville.
Interestingly, this past Sunday morning a group of 15 EBLL Major League players appeared on the “NESN Clubhouse” television show.
“It was filmed at the NESN studios and that was a pretty cool experience for the kids to be on television,” said Cassaro. “The 15 players and the five parent-chaperones were also invited to Sunday’s Orioles-Red Sox game at Fenway Park. They braved the cold weather and got to see Chris Sale pitch and the Red Sox beat the Orioles.”
Local runners to participate in Playworks Run for Recess 5K
On Saturday, May 19, students and staff members from McKay School will participate in the 9th Annual Playworks Run for Recess 5K presented by Playworks New England in partnership with the New Balance Foundation. Funds raised through the family friendly 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, which will take place along Franklin Park’s world-famous cross country course adjacent to the zoo in Roxbury, will support play and physical activity in 140 elementary schools across New England.
McKay School team members will join an expected 1,000 participants, including students and families representing 49 elementary schools in the Greater Boston area, who will run with the collective goal of raising $15,000 for Playworks New England. In its 12th year, the nonprofit, which is part of a national organization, brings play and youth development programming into schools during recess as a means to improve the health and well-being of children and to enhance learning through the power of play.
one of two running routes along the Franklin Park Playstead Field. All runners will get a Playworks goodie bag. The first 400 runners registered will receive a free Playworks t-shirt. An award presentation for the top three finishers will take place at the conclusion of the race. All participants will receive certificates.
Registration and start times are as follows:
- Pre-Registration and Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.
- One Mile Fun Run beings at 10 a.m.
- 5K Run for Recess begins at 10:30 a.m.
- Recess 12:00pm – 1:00pm
All ages welcome. Registration fees range from $10 to $50, dependent upon route and group packages. All fees increase by $5 for onsite at Franklin Park. To register for the 9th Annual Playworks Run for Recess 5K on May 19, to support a school team, or to volunteer, visit: https://www.playworks.org/new-england/event/playworks-9th-annual-run-recess/. For further questions, contact Karleen Herbst, Playworks New England Development Manager, at kherbst@playworks.org or call (617)-708-1734.
About Playworks New England
Playworks New England, part of a national nonprofit, works to bring play and physical activity into elementary schools as a means to improve the health and well-being of children and to enhance learning. Through onsite direct-service coaching and training school faculty and staff, Playworks integrates physical activity and social and emotional learning skill-building into organized activities during recess to create a space where students feel included, are active, and build valuable social and emotional skills needed to thrive in the classroom and beyond. Entering its 12th year, Playworks New England serves more than 75,000 students in 140 elementary schools across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. To date, the nonprofit has served 210,000 youth. For more information, visit: https://www.playworks.org/new-england/.
New Balance Foundation
Since 1981, the New Balance Foundation has served a deeply held mission: to support charitable organizations whose humanitarian efforts work for the betterment of our children and communities. The heart of the focus of the Foundation is the prevention of childhood obesity. For 11 years, the New Balance Foundation has helped to energize education alongside Playworks New England and is the nonprofit’s premier movement building partner.