RVC Little League kicks off 67th season

Posted

It’s time to play ball in Rockville Centre!

The rainy weather that plagued the village for most of last week finally gave way to sunny blue skies on April 8, when hundreds of young baseball and softball players proudly marched up Maple Avenue to Hickey Field to mark the official opening of the 67th Little League season.

The parade, which was canceled last year due to the inclement weather, stepped off from South Side Middle School at around 10 a.m. with an array of Rockville Centre Fire Department trucks and its color guard leading the way.

The league honored five past presidents during the ceremony at Hickey Field, including Ed Maher, Tom Galucci, Bob Klein, Bob Tolan and recently-retired Tom Bucaria. The four in attendance, with the exception of the absent Klein, threw out the first pitches simultaneously. Tom Wagner is the new league president.

Also participating in the ceremony was Mayor Francis X. Murray, Deputy Mayor Nancy Howard and Police Commissioner Charles Gennario.

All of the children cited the Little League pledge as they stood along the outfield and Kellenberg High School freshman and Rockville Centre resident Deidre Ambrosi sang the national anthem.

“There was great weather and terrific spirit,” said Bucaria. “Given the way the week was [with the weather] and everything else, we were very lucky. It was a great show.”

When the ceremony was done, the kids dispersed to their designated fields to play the first scheduled games, which went throughout day. Besides Hickey Field, games were also played at Lister Field and Klein Field.

The Challenger Baseball League, which enables boys and girls with special needs to learn and enjoy the game, begins on May 6.

The previous week, the annual food drive was held during uniform pickups. This year, the league managed to collect more than 2,000 items of food. It was shared with food pantries run by the Vineyard Church, St. Agnes Cathedral Service Center/Outreach, the Martin Luther King Center, Central Synagogue of Nassau County and the Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Centre, all of which provide food to those in need in Rockville Centre.