Spa City team to honor fallen trooper today
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Trooper Joel Davis lost his life responding to a domestic violence call in July.
Right around that time the Saratoga Horses and Hudson Valley Guns N Hoses were discussing a time to play Saratoga Horses’s first official game as a team.
They decided to honor Trooper Davis, with all proceeds for Saturday’s night game at East Side Rec going to Davis’s family.
The idea to field a baseball team began last year, Chris Stewart, the president of the club, said.
Stewart, who played baseball at Stillwater High School before playing at Mount Ida College outside Boston, serves as a firefighter in Saratoga Springs.
Saratoga Springs doesn’t have a big enough department from the fire and police to field a full team, so Stewart, like Hudson Valley does, decided to reach out to police officers and firefighters from Troy, Watervliet and Malta, and members of the New York State Corrections Department.
The team began practicing in early July, and won its first scrimmage against an adult team in Saratoga County called the Milton Pirates.
Stewart felt it was right to honor Trooper Davis with the game.
“We figured that it would be very appropriate to play the game to raise money to donate to the New York State Police Signal 30 fund,” said Stewart. “That money after that will be directly giving to the family of Trooper Davis.”
Tickets for the game, which begins at 7, are $10. All proceeds benefit the family of Trooper Davis.
“It’s something that’s close to us because anyone on the job, either police or fire, we know that when we go to work there’s a chance we’re not going to make it home at night,” said Stewart.
The financial aspect definitely helps the family, but Stewart wants the family to know it’s more than just money.
“To me the biggest thing is letting the family know they are not alone. That there’s always people there for them to help them out,” said Stewart. “There’s always going to be the red line family and the blue family always there to help if they have any trouble.”
T-shirts for Saratoga Horses will be available to purchase at the field, with some portions of sales going directly to the family.
Boots will be set up for anyone willing to donate extra money.
“We’re going to put on a good show. It’s going to be a very competitive baseball game, but at the end of the day no matter who wins, no matter who loses,” said Stewart.
“It’s all going to a great cause of helping the family of Trooper Davis.”