It’s Iona vs. Concordia on July 12 when the faculty and staff of the colleges meet in a game of amateur softball to benefit New Rochelle’s food bank.
Scarsdale resident Kathleen Hymes, assistant registar at Concordia, said this is the second year for the charity game, which last year raised $1,200 for Eastchester’s food bank.
The schools plan to trade off venues and charities each year as they make the summer game an annual tradition.
“The great thing about Concordia and Iona is they are connected to their communities,” Hymes said. “We got to have the fun and yet we were able to do something good with it.”
The public is invited to Thursday’s game, which begins at 5:30 p.m. on Iona College’s Rive Oval Baseball field.
Hymes said players are donating $20 each and spectators are asked to give $5 at the event. “It’s really kind of old fashioned,” Hymes said. “Families come with lawn chairs. There’s an ice cream truck.”
Hymes came up with the idea for the charity game with her sister-in-law Regina Reilly, a Yonkers resident and employee in the admissions office at Iona. “I approached her with the idea of doing something in the summertime that would be fun and also serve the community,” Hymes said, adding that her dream would be to include other Westchester County colleges in the event.
Hymes said she’s not an avid softball player herself, but played an inning at second base last year before yielding the field. “Everyone is a good sport,” she said.
Concordia provided the team with T-shirts, Hymes said, and refreshments for the players have been donated, meaning that all money raised will go to Hope Community Services in New Rochelle.
HOPE, the largest emergency food pantry and soup kitchen in the area, also provides clothing as well as language and emotional support.
The players plan to go together to the food bank after the game to deliver the donations, just as they did last year. “It made it real for people to see how many people in our community are really accessing these services. Our economic times are not the greatest right now. Every little bit we can do for each other is a blessing.”
