July 6, 2009, Tottenham – For the opening weekend of Community Week, Tottenham’s three adult slo-pitch baseball leagues, Tottenham Ladies Lob Ball, Tottenham Oldtimers, and Tottenham Men’s Slo-pitch, got together at Coventry Park for the second annual Michael Worrod Memorial – Help The Kids Play Tournament. Beginning Friday night with the Ladies league and carrying on until Sunday afternoon participants enjoyed the beautiful weather playing slo-pitch and raising money for the Help The Kids Play (“HTKP”) program that was launched by the Tottenham Oldtimers two years ago. HTKP fundraising activities, along with the financial support of charter sponsor Scotia Bank in Alliston, has been providing financial assistance where needed to make extra-curricular programs available to all kids in the Tottenham area.
The program is fast approaching its 50th ‘case’ - having helped over 40 kids to enjoy programs outside of school. “It’s a great feeling to be able to enjoy a weekend of playing ball, knowing that you are also going to be helping a child have access to something they like to do” commented HTKP program Chairperson, Ed Hopkins. He continues, “we began by working closely with Big Brothers Big Sisters here in town to identify opportunities to anonymously step in and help out where needed and as we became more experienced with the activity we reached out to both the kids sports leagues, as well as our own players, to do our best to cover as much ground as possible.”
The tournament this past weekend was once again a great success, but particularly for the tournament winners from each league: Team Zep for the Ladies, the Grisslies for the Oldtimers, and Number 9 Auto for the Men’s League. Anyone familiar with past Community Weeks will remember the Ladies league tournaments and once again, they were out playing in their ‘finest’ attire on Saturday with their costume competition. Meanwhile the two men’s leagues took time out on Saturday for a home run derby and for the second year in a row an Oldtimer had to show the young guns how it was done with Kevin Moon clearing the fence three times on a windy afternoon against 22 other competitors.
The tournament organizers wish to thank the Worrod family for their very kind generosity and continuing support, Mark McCague and his team at the town Parks and Rec department for their last minute efforts to help make the Coventry facility functional while the pavilion is being reconstructed; McGoey Bros. Insurance for always being there at the last minute; Al Middleton for the shade; Sandy Bell and all the staff at Foodland for keeping us well supplied, Carolyn at the LCBO, Jim Mannell for the pristine diamonds, Scotia Bank in Alliston without whom we would not be anywhere near the 50 case mark, and, finally, all of our players, volunteers, and spectators, for coming out and making this idea a reality.
For more information on Help The Kids Play please visit www.tottenhamoldtimers.ca/HTKP.html.