2023 Hit-a-thon Blasts to New Heights!

Ryan Tokar, Thurmont Little League

On Saturday, May 6, Thurmont Little League (TLL) held its 2023 Hit-a-thon. This is the largest annual fundraiser for the league, and proceeds go toward necessities like field maintenance, uniforms, concession upgrades, and general complex improvements. There were fireworks on and off the field, literally! This event seems to grow bigger and bigger each year, as players enjoy not only the competition of seeing who can hit the ball the farthest, but also who can gain the most dollars in donations. Our TLL families and the surrounding community stepped up once again. This year’s Hit-a-thon brought in over $29,000 in online and cash donations, the largest amount raised in league history!

The Hit-a-thon is an extremely fun event for our players. They have a great time competing against their friends and teammates, and all for a great cause. Players receive one hit for every $10.00 raised, for a maximum of 10 hits. They can continue to raise additional money above and beyond that in order to win prizes. A bonus hit is also awarded if a player brings a non-perishable item for the Thurmont Food Bank.

Prizes are given to the top overall fundraisers and also to the players who hit the ball the longest distance. The Majors and Minors Divisions are judged on where the ball lands, while Coach Pitch and T-ball divisions are given credit for how far the ball rolls.

Distance winners for this year’s Hit-a-thon were as follows: Majors—Nathan Camilleri (201 ft), Daniel Genemans (200 ft), and Nemo Dewees (194 ft). Minors—Carter Misner (145 ft), James Hewitt (144 ft), and Payton Fritz (138 ft). Coach Pitch—Chase Stine (157 ft), Logan Otto (143 ft), and Graham Pearl (141 ft). Finally, from T-ball—Maverick Cox (129 ft), Gabriel Shankle (120 ft), and Lucy Liller/Liam Lawrence tied (112 ft). TLL Softball had a great showing once again this year as well. Distance winners from our Softball program were: Dixie Eckenrode (116 ft), Hadley Crone (115 ft), and Victoria Brown (112 ft).

The overall fundraising winners this year raised some of the highest totals in event history. Congratulations to the following winners: Carson Unger (Coach Pitch Dragons) $1,960, Liam Lawrence (T-ball Blue Jays) $1,650, and Emma Stevens (Softball Mavericks) $770. They will each be awarded an Amazon gift card for their prize. In addition to the individual winners, the teams with the most overall donations earn a free pizza party at the end of the season. Highest earning teams were: T-ball Blue Jays—$2,910, Coach Pitch Dragons—$2,755, Minors Eagles—$1,445, Majors Nationals—$1,115, and Softball Mavericks—$1,335. Along with over $29,000 raised, the league also collected several hundred non-perishable goods which were donated to the Thurmont Food Bank to help those in need. TLL would like to thank the community, parents, and volunteers for their support. Without you, this event would not have been such a tremendous success.

Throughout the day, guests enjoyed treats from Crazy Dave’s Pizza, Snowball Waterfalls, and the TLL Concession Stand. After the dust had settled on the Hit-a-thon, team pictures, and a full slate of in-house games, an impromptu kickball game broke out on the Majors Field, with kids from all divisions enjoying themselves while waiting for it to get dark. Once the sun finally set on the day’s festivities, a huge crowd of TLL family members settled in to enjoy an amazing fireworks display, put on by Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts. Everyone loved the up-close view of the show, which lasted for over 10 minutes and put an exclamation point on an already fabulous day.

The spring season is winding down, with games concluding in early June. We will then move on to the end-of-the-season tournaments and All-Star games. Look for more information in next month’s issue!

Thurmont Little League collects non-perishable food items for the Thurmont Food Bank