This Saturday the town centre in Hemel Hempstead had an added baseball flavour. Members of the adult and Little League teams of Herts Baseball Club alongside Little League parents invaded the Riverside Shopping Centre. This was billed as a fundraising event for the club’s Grovehill Ballpark Project, but it was about a lot more than just raising funds. This was an opportunity for the club to spread news of the great work it does for the local community and the fantastic opportunities it offers for youngsters and adults to play baseball by joining one of the best and coolest sports clubs in the UK.
It was impressive to see so many members of the public who were already aware of Herts Baseball Club and the game of baseball. Those who did not know that baseball is being played right on their doorstep, took the club’s recruitment flyer and the club is very happy to report that within hours of the event, the club’s website started to receive enquiries about joining the Herts Baseball Little League and the Herts adult teams. Herts Little League Vice President, Marty Cullen, said: “This was a very successful event and we intend to do more promotional events in the future. We certainly hope that we will have the opportunity to say hello again to the many people who we met today, but this time in our home at Grovehill Ballpark.”
Many shoppers had the opportunity to take part in the Baseball Quiz to test their baseball knowledge and they certainly did well despite some hesitation earlier in the day.
Amazingly, one of the Quiz contestants turned out to be a relative of New York Mets third baseman, David Wright. It is beyond belief that one of the superstars of baseball who can be regularly seen on the front covers of the world’s major sports magazines, has a relative right here in Hemel Hempstead. But then again, Hemel Hempstead is becoming something of a central point for baseball in the UK, so it makes sense that UK-based relatives of baseball stars would be living in Hemel Hempstead.
The undoubted stars of the day were the Little League boys and girls who were buzzing around from start to finish with their collection buckets. In total they single-handedly raised £177.96 from the very generous residents of Hemel and other parts of Hertfordshire – an amazing achievement by the Little Leaguers.
Many members of the public also left their good luck video messages to the Herts Falcons ahead of their games in the AAA British National Championships Final 4 on 6-7 September.
Herts Baseball Club wants to thank the Riverside Shopping Centre in Hemel for allowing this fundraising event to take place on their premises.
Can you believe it? New York Mets third baseman, David Wright,
has relatives right here in Hemel Hempstead.