Non-profits team up to offer free night of baseball
Local residents, plus anyone who wants to show pride in Pottstown, are invited to a free night of baseball, local tributes and fireworks at the Reading Fightin Phils FirstEnergy Stadium on Friday night, June 15.
The event, dubbed Pottstown Proud Night, is sponsored by four local non-profits to promote the value of working together for the Pottstown-area community.
Three hundred free tickets are available on a firstcome, first-served basis. Each ticket will come with $2 in food vouchers to be used at the game.
Transportation is available for those who need it. However, bus seats are limited and may fill up quickly with requests.
Special events at the game will include Ceremonial First Pitch by a Pottstown Teacher of the Year, Barth Elementary stalwart Kelli Woefel, Community Champion honors for student Citizenship Award winners, and local participants in the holding of the American flag for the playing of the national anthem.
Other festivities at the game include a pre-game concert by Downingtown School of Rock and postgame fireworks in the stadium, along with appearances by Fightin mascots.
The event is being sponsored by the Foundation for Pottstown Education, Pottstown Works at The Salvation Army of Pottstown, Pottstown Early Action Kindergarten, and TriCounty Community Network.
Ticket printing and food vouchers were donated by Complete Graphics Inc., 38 E. High St.
“Our goal in planning this event was to demonstrate that local non-profits working together not only can benefit the people we serve, but also can display the pride of this town,” said Nancy March, director of Pottstown Works. “We want to offer families a night of fun to start the summer, while proving the value of teamwork among non-profit organizations.”
“We often see non-profit organizations working for the same goals but not necessarily working together,” said Holly Parker, executive director of TCN. “This project gave us a chance to plan one event that we could share in and practice collaboration.”
“This is a good opportunity for our school families,” said Joe Rusiewicz, executive director of the Foundation for Pottstown Education. “It’s also giving us an opportunity to honor Teacher of the Year winners and our outstanding student citizens.”
“We saw this as a great opportunity for our PEAK families to connect with each other and hope they will come out,” added Valerie Jackson, PEAK coordinator. “We urge everyone coming to the game to wear blue and white or their Trojan gear to show the world what Pottstown pride looks like.”
To get tickets, come to the Pottstown School District administration building, 230 Beech St. (use front entrance) from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on May 30 to June 1, or June 4-6. Ticket and food vouchers will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no limit to the number of tickets per family.
Game time is 7:15 p.m. against the Akron Rubber Ducks. The FirstEnergy Stadium plaza opens at 5 p.m. There is ample, free parking at the stadium, 1900 Centre Ave. (Route 61), Reading.
A bus donated by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation will provide transportation for families in need who sign up early.
This article first appeared as a post in The Digital Notebook blog.