Thurmont Little League Kicks Off 70th Season
After months of planning, Thurmont Little League’s (TLL)opening day arrived on Saturday, April 10. Unfortunately, due to several days of rainy weather, the full slate of games scheduled for the day were forced to be postponed. However, despite the soggy conditions, and lack of games, the league proceeded with the festivities and a wonderful time was had by all.
The day started off with a welcoming address by League President Keith Myers, who kicked off the 70th season of TLL baseball. In an effort to socially distance and help with crowd control, the league held dual ceremonies this year. At 10:00 a.m., players from the T-ball and instructional divisions were introduced, along with their coaches and team moms. The second round of introductions were held at 3:30 p.m. for the minor and major divisions.
On hand to throw out the first pitch for both ceremonies was Sherry Myers, owner of Thurmont Kountry Kitchen. Selected for the amazing work that her family has done for the community, Sherry stated, “I felt so honored as I stood on the field representing our business. It was so awesome to see all the players walk across the field as they were introduced.” After receiving her ball in a commemorative holder for display, Sherry was kind enough to present the league with a donation.
Next, the National Anthem was sung by Allison Balanc, who honored our country with a beautiful rendition. Players Carson Fry, Ethan Tokar, and Connor Smith led all players in reciting the Little League Pledge, while Luke Humerick and Pam Eyler led everyone else in the Parent/Volunteer pledge. To close the ceremony, league Vice President John Code thanked everyone for coming and also recognized the many volunteers who have made the league so successful over the past 70 seasons. A special moment of silence was held for one of those individuals, Ronnie Eyler, who passed away in December. The Thurmont Yankees minor and instructional teams will be playing in his honor this year.
After the ceremonies, families and players stayed around to enjoy delicious BBQ by The Sauced Savage, ice cream from Antietam Dairy, and many other treats from the TLL concession stand. Pivot Physical Therapy and Thurmont Cub Scouts were on hand with tables to provide information about their services. Other highlights of the day included a photo booth, complete with balloon archway and fun photo props courtesy of Carrie’s Craft Room.
Fundraising is always a big part of the opening day ceremony, and this year was no exception due to the loss of revenue from missing out on last season due to COVID-19. The community showed up in a big way to support the league this year, as the basket raffles and spiritwear tables generated over $7,000 for the league. People were excited to get their TLL t-shirts, masks, hats, and hoodies and to take a chance at one of the 17 wonderful prizes. The Grand Prize was a DeWalt Tool Set, valued over $700 dollars, generously donated by Hessong Bridge Contractors. The winner was Shaun Hamlette. The league would like to thank all the local businesses that donated to its baskets, without this support they could not have generated the interest and raised the money that they did. To view a full list, please check out the Thurmont Little League page on Facebook. The next big event will be the annual hit-a-thon on May 1. This is the largest annual fundraiser for the league and helps raise money for uniforms, field maintenance, and everything else the league needs to make a great experience for its players and fans.
Finally, on Tuesday, April 13, the league was able to kick off its actual game schedule. After several days of games being postponed due to rain, the newly refinished fields were finally deemed to be playable. The first two games to be played were the Majors Orioles vs the Brewers, with the Orioles coming out on top. On the other field, the Minors Nationals were victorious over the Cubs.
Everyone was extremely excited to be back out there, and the fields looked great! Come on out and watch a game this year to support the players, coaches, and volunteers as TLL celebrates 70 seasons of baseball!
Sherry Myers has the honor of throwing out the first pitch for Thurmont Little League’s 70th season
