Four more cross the ATV-60 Finish Line on Friday Night!
There were two more pairs of great folks to complete their passports Friday night. In both cases it was a parent & child duo, just like the adventure that started for me and my youngest son Chris about a decade ago.
We went to the Bing up in Front Royal to help out with the 1ST pitch ceremony as Buck Smith and his son Jacob. The connection between the two families is special because it was Charlie and Melissa Dodge that brought the idea to the attention of the Smiths at a New Market home game. Melissa Dodge and her son Noah were busy last night getting their final stamp at the Fauquier home game against their Rebels. Charlie had to take a break to attend some of the Virginia High School festivities so is a couple of blocks behind.
We will be there at Rebel Park to celebrate with the Dodges once they return home so we were there to say THANKS to the Smith family. Buck has been a part of Warren County High School athletics for quite a while and his current role involves both WC and the new sister school Skyline.
Greg Brill and Donna Settle of the Cardinals were upstairs as was Mr.Neal and the three of them seemed to be in great spirits. Tim Tassa was there from the NVD to write the gamer(you can check it out at http://www.nvdaily.com/ ) early in the morning. Donna introduced Buck and Jacob to me and the three of us headed down to the field for the first pitch!
Buck and Jacob were both more than willing to tell me of their adventures through the Valley. Both of them mentioned Covington as a neat little town to see a baseball game and then added that they all where special in their own way. I asked Buck if he would be willing to take the time to share their trek in greater detail because I was so moved by his words. The things that Buck talked about with me could easily be the inner lining to a brochure about the event.
They will step away from the diamond for a day trip over to Kings Dominion Saturday but he said we will here from them shortly after. I can't wait for those of you following the trail to share in their story!
Skipper Bob (Bob Brotherton) was every bit as great to be with as Lawrence Nesselrodt had been down at Waynesboro. Bob stepped right up and joined the festivites as we celebrated his
fans making the loop. Buck and Jacob had hoped to throw their pitches to a pair of Cards with ties to Warren County- Jesse Henry and Parker Neal. Jesse was quick to answer the call and received the effort from young Jacob but we were informed that Parker had to head back to Christopher Newport University earlier in the day. There was no shortage of Cardinals willing to step up to the plate or in this case stand behind the plate- Bob has this one catcher that is in charge of hugs- I think my daughter Rebecca is still smiling about that one.
Kudos to Melissa and Noah
Kudos to Buck and Jacob
Kudos to Bob Brotherton, Donna Settle, Greg Brill and the Cardinals organization!
13 in the books, how many to go?
Note from the editor- I was able to spend a couple of innings with some of the Haymarket faithful during the game and there were some more parents and children getting close to the finish line of a story to remember.......
Updates from Around The Valley- Luray made it six straight with a 7-3 win at Bridgeforth over the Royals and Harrisonburg rallied to defeat the Waynesboro Generals 5-4 at Memorial Stadium. I think Mike will send a recap on the Generals game later...
We went to the Bing up in Front Royal to help out with the 1ST pitch ceremony as Buck Smith and his son Jacob. The connection between the two families is special because it was Charlie and Melissa Dodge that brought the idea to the attention of the Smiths at a New Market home game. Melissa Dodge and her son Noah were busy last night getting their final stamp at the Fauquier home game against their Rebels. Charlie had to take a break to attend some of the Virginia High School festivities so is a couple of blocks behind.
We will be there at Rebel Park to celebrate with the Dodges once they return home so we were there to say THANKS to the Smith family. Buck has been a part of Warren County High School athletics for quite a while and his current role involves both WC and the new sister school Skyline.
Greg Brill and Donna Settle of the Cardinals were upstairs as was Mr.Neal and the three of them seemed to be in great spirits. Tim Tassa was there from the NVD to write the gamer(you can check it out at http://www.nvdaily.com/ ) early in the morning. Donna introduced Buck and Jacob to me and the three of us headed down to the field for the first pitch!
Buck and Jacob were both more than willing to tell me of their adventures through the Valley. Both of them mentioned Covington as a neat little town to see a baseball game and then added that they all where special in their own way. I asked Buck if he would be willing to take the time to share their trek in greater detail because I was so moved by his words. The things that Buck talked about with me could easily be the inner lining to a brochure about the event.
They will step away from the diamond for a day trip over to Kings Dominion Saturday but he said we will here from them shortly after. I can't wait for those of you following the trail to share in their story!
Skipper Bob (Bob Brotherton) was every bit as great to be with as Lawrence Nesselrodt had been down at Waynesboro. Bob stepped right up and joined the festivites as we celebrated his
fans making the loop. Buck and Jacob had hoped to throw their pitches to a pair of Cards with ties to Warren County- Jesse Henry and Parker Neal. Jesse was quick to answer the call and received the effort from young Jacob but we were informed that Parker had to head back to Christopher Newport University earlier in the day. There was no shortage of Cardinals willing to step up to the plate or in this case stand behind the plate- Bob has this one catcher that is in charge of hugs- I think my daughter Rebecca is still smiling about that one.
Kudos to Melissa and Noah
Kudos to Buck and Jacob
Kudos to Bob Brotherton, Donna Settle, Greg Brill and the Cardinals organization!
13 in the books, how many to go?
Note from the editor- I was able to spend a couple of innings with some of the Haymarket faithful during the game and there were some more parents and children getting close to the finish line of a story to remember.......
Updates from Around The Valley- Luray made it six straight with a 7-3 win at Bridgeforth over the Royals and Harrisonburg rallied to defeat the Waynesboro Generals 5-4 at Memorial Stadium. I think Mike will send a recap on the Generals game later...
