West softball to honor deceased World War II veterans with field-a-thon

By Pete Fontaine
Posted 4/21/16

The 24 girls who represent Cranston High School West in Rhode Island Interscholastic League fast-pitch softball are about to receive an important, two-fold history lesson.

And one, Head Coach Jeff …

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West softball to honor deceased World War II veterans with field-a-thon

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The 24 girls who represent Cranston High School West in Rhode Island Interscholastic League fast-pitch softball are about to receive an important, two-fold history lesson.

And one, Head Coach Jeff Smith said earlier this week, “Centers on World War II,” while the other concerns the heart-warming and now storied Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Association Honor Flight program.

“We’re going to have a field-a-thon,” Smith, whose father served in the military and whose brother Peter Smith founded the unique McShawn’s Pub Back Porch Veterans Association, offered. “Our girls will field 2,340 softballs hit by our coaches.”

Ah, 2,340 softballs, coach?

“Yes sir! And that number represents the number of casualties our nation had back in World War II,” Jeff Smith explained. “We’re calling this a hitting history lesson and each of the 2,340 balls hit will be in honor of one of those deceased veterans.”

The field-a-thon, which will be held this Friday (April 22) evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at Sal Capirchio Field that’s located inside Cranston’s Brayton Avenue Park, is also being held to draw more attention to the prestigious Honor Flight Program and further enlighten the Lady Falcons – as well as their respective rooters of all ages – about the important program for World War II veterans who live in Rhode Island.

“And hopefully,” Jeff Smith said, “The field-a-thon will generate some funding for future Honor Flights if people are so inclined to make a special donation or pledge either during or after our field-a-thon.”

The Honor Flight is a national, non-profit program that flies World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to view their monument and take in other military related venues in our nation’s capital.

Locally, the program was founded by former Providence Fire Chief George Farrell and is officially named the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub and is dedicated to taking American veterans to visit their memorials. Since the Ocean State-based program began in August of 2012, the Honor Flight Hub has taken over 300 World War II vets to Washington to see their memorials.

Last year, the Vets group at McShawn’s Pub – headed by Smith’s brother Peter Smith and Paul Reed – raised upwards of $8,000 at its annual Memorial Day weekend fundraiser that was all donated to the Honor Flight program.

So, instead of smashing softballs out of Capirchio Field like they have all season, Lady Falcon standouts like Giuliana Hathaway and Mackenzie Beyer, just to name a couple, will be fielding softballs hit by Smith and his CHS West assistant coaches Dave Kenneally and Tom Carmody to honor the 2,340 veterans killed in World War II and help further fund Honor Flights for living vets of that era that will never be forgotten.

“We’re also recognizing first responders by way of the field-a-thon,” Smith went on. “Many of our players’ fathers fall into those categories; some are police officers, fire fighters and former members of the military.”

The field-a-thon, the Lady Falcons coach also explained, is a project of the six sophomores – Marissa Cushman, Kelly Lambrese, Aris Degaitas, Caitlin O’Brien, Danielle Carmody and Mackenzie Beyer – on this spring’s Cranston West roster.

“All our kids have bought into this idea,” Jeff Smith went on. “And congratulations to the sophomores; they have really done a great job in organizing the entire event.”

Now, all that remains is Friday night’s historic field-a-thon that the entire Lady Falcons’ fast-pitch team is hoping will bring in a host of donations and pledges that will ensure that the Honor Flight Hub continues.

Anyone who’d like to make a donation or pledge to the Honor flight program may do so by calling Farrell at (401) 741-7999, writing to R.I. Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub, 26 Fairbanks Street, Providence, R.I. 02908 or emailing to rifirechiefshonorflight@gmail.com.

The Lady Falcons who’ll participate in Friday night’s field-a-thon are: Julia Hazian, Sophia DiMeglio, Captain Giuliana Hathaway, Haley Travieso, Victoria Williams, Casey Regine, Rachel Blustein, Taylor Guilmette, Marissa Cushman, Kelly Lambrese, Keara Pedroso, Aris Degaitas, Caitlin O’Brien, Camryn Ricci, Captain Jenna Palmer, Rylie Bessette, Madison Assanti, Alexis Coutu, Isabel Baffoni, Danielle Carmody, Olivia Marfeo, Livia Feola, Mackenzie Beyer and Alyssa Ragosta.

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