VERO BEACH — On Saturday, March 31, over 2,000 baseball fans and community leaders gathered in the seats at Holman Stadium to reminisce and celebrate the return of professional baseball to the historic Dodgertown at Vero Beach Sports Village.
The New Orleans Zephyrs (Triple A affiliate of the Florida Marlins) triumphed over the Buffalo Bisons (the Triple A affiliate of the New York Mets) 16 to 6 in the charity exhibition game that raised $13,080 in support of United Way of Indian River County’s 2011-2012 annual campaign which ends on May 15.
The event was the brainchild of Peter O’Malley, Craig Callan and Pat O’Connor, and was sponsored by Village Beach Sports Village, the George E. Warren Corporation and Treasure and Space Coast Radio.
“What a terrific event, what a great day, for us, for our community and for baseball,” said United Way CEO Michael Kint. “The weather was great, folks turned out in droves, and it was great to see the ball players out on the field once again.”
“The entire day went as smooth as could be,” added Kint, citing the excellent organization of Vero Beach Sports Village and the enthusiasm of the volunteers from the Fort Pierce Central Army JROTC who coordinated parking with the Vero Beach Police Department.
The funds raised during the event will support the work of United Way’s 32 partner agencies.
Vero Beach’s First Lady, Alma Lee Loy, threw out the first pitch, and Sun Up/ARC Board Member Patricia Moody sang and signed the national anthem.
The Mets and the Marlins clubs hadn’t played at the facility since 2008, the last year the Los Angeles Dodgers used it for spring training before moving their activities west to Glendale, Ariz.
With the success of this inaugural charity event, it is hoped that such an event might become a regular feature for the community.
About Vero Beach Sports Village
Vero Beach Sports Village is a multi-sport complex located in Vero Beach, Florida. The facility, formerly known as Dodgertown, was the spring training home of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 67-acre, multi-sport complex is now designed to give teams of all ages the opportunity to train, play and stay together on-site. The all-inclusive facility has 89 on-site villas, a dining room, two full-sized weight rooms, a Stadium Club Lounge and a full recreational area that includes four lighted tennis courts, a swimming pool, basketball court and sand volleyball.
Vero Beach Sports Village provides an all-encompassing experience for guests and is an ideal setting to build a championship team.
Visit http://www.VBSportsVillage.com for more information.