Equipment stolen from Challenger team

Community rallies to help out baseball team for special needs children after Turner Park theft

The Peterborough Challenger Baseball Juniors ran onto the field at Turner Park on Wednesday night only to notice their specialized equipment had been stolen.

“(They) had stuffed a helmet into the portable toilet basin,” founder Bernie Daynes wrote on his Facebook page.

Bats, a dozen balls and three brand new batting helmets were among the stolen equipment.

The equipment is not your everyday baseball equipment.

The bats are designed specially for special needs kids, some with soft exteriors with a harder core. All seven of the bats had been stolen.

The stolen balls are the size of a regular softball but are made of high-density soft foam.

The equipment box has two double locks but were untouched because instead—the bottom of the box had been pried off, according to Daynes.

The community was rallying around the team Thursday to help replace the equipment.

The public can help by donating any equipment laying around or that is not in use, to Hobies Sports on Charlotte St.

Many local businesses and individuals have already started supporting and funding for new equipment, including Beast Fitness and Clonsilla Auto Sales.

“Well, I do not hold the city responsible and we are getting a lot of really positive responses and help from the city, local businesses and individuals,” he said.

The Examiner asked Daynes if he had anything to say to the thieves if they were reading this.

There was a long pause and then a response, “No, not something you can print.”

Daynes founded Peterborough’s Challenger Baseball league in 2016 with only two teams. The league has grown and now there are two age divisions with two or more teams.

The league plays from May to mid-August and is in action every Wednesday and Thursday at Turner Park, at Chamberlain and High streets, and at the Brinton Carpet diamond on Lock St.

Volunteers help mark the base paths and diamond every week and Ashburnham Metals, a local business, donated a pair of team benches for the kids to have behind the backstop.

If you would like to help donate or support the Peterborough Challenger Baseball Junior, you can do so by contacting the founder, Bernie Daynes at challenger.peterborough@gmail.com or Hobies Sports at 186 Charlotte St (705-745-7770).