May 7, 2008
Hits and Heroes
Greenwich American Legion baseball players to hold skills clinic
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Members of the Greenwich American Legion baseball's three Cannons teams will conduct a baseball skills clinic for local youth baseball players ages six through 12, on May 18 from 1:30-3 p.m.
The clinic, which will have players share what they've learned about baseball with the younger players in town, will take place on the turf field at the Boys & Girls Club and is open to all kids interested.
Batting, pitching, throwing and base running stations will be offered
and a radar gun will be on hand, so kids can see just how fast they can
throw. Participants should bring their own baseball glove if they have
one. Participation may be limited. Donated gloves may
be dropped at the BGCG clubhouse from now until the end of the clinic,
when the Boys & Girls Club invites the community to join them at
the field for a rally to pass the gloves to the Mets.
Greenwich American Legion Baseball is conducting the clinic in support of the Michael J. Biondi Memorial Baseball Glove Drive sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich and the New York Mets. Already underway, the glove drive seeks to collect new and used baseball gloves to benefit children in the Dominican Republic who can’t afford their own.
Greenwich American Legion Baseball was in the midst of planning a skills clinic as part of its annual Hits and Heroes community service effort when Peter Drittel, who sits on the boards of both organizations, presented the idea of combining the events.
“We think the glove drive is a perfect choice for us this year," Legion board member Nancy Carr said. "Michael Biondi was not only a strong supporter of children in our community and an avid Mets fan; he was also a member of the Greenwich American Legion Baseball family, with two sons who have played on our Greenwich Cannons teams.”
The Hits and Heroes campaign is a Greenwich American Legion Baseball community service program designed to encourage its youth baseball players to use baseball to give back to the community. Launched in 2007, the name was derived from counting hits in a season-long hit-a-thon that raised over $3,500 for the American Legacy Scholarship Fund, an American Legion charity that provides college scholarships for children who have lost a parent on active military duty since Sept. 11.
The program has evolved into a permanent campaign designed to support a selected community service initiative each season. Since 2004, Greenwich American Legion Baseball has offered a highly competitive baseball experience for Greenwich youth baseball players.
For more information on Greenwich American Legion Baseball or the skills clinic, visit the Cannon’s website at Greenwichcannons.org or contact Nancy Carr at 862-0695.
For more information on the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich or the Michael J. Biondi Memorial Baseball Glove Drive, visit Bgcg.org or contact Bob DeAngelo at 869-3224.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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