More than 100 baseball players will parade down Main Street at 4 p.m. Friday, June 16, kicking off the Haines Little League Opening Day celebrations.
The parade will begin at the Small Board Harbor and end at the 1-Mile ball field, where coaches and players will be introduced to fans. At. 5 p.m. the Angels will compete against the Rangers in the majors league at field one. At field two, the Grizzlies T-ball team will play before the Cardinals and the Cubs face off.
A concessions stand will be open, where Little League fans can purchase a $10 raffle ticket, with the chance to win a $2,000 grand prize. The drawing will occur at the Little League food booth during the Southeast Alaska State Fair.
Haines Little League board secretary Sherri Loomis said this summer’s games will all take place at the 1-Mile ball field, while the board and volunteers work to rebuild the fields at the fairgrounds. The board was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Tlingit and Haida Tribal Council to spruce up the fields, which are overgrown with alders.
“The score board wasn’t visible because there were so many alders in front of it. The field is in total disarray. We’re taking that $10,000 and have had contractors go up there and look at it to see if they can help us get that field back.”
Once the field is in pristine condition, Loomis said they plan to dedicate and rename the field David Simmons Memorial Little League Field, in honor of the former volunteer, coach and semi-professional baseball player who died in the 2020 Beach Road landslide.
“He was very active in Little League his whole life,” Loomis said. “He played semi-pro baseball in Germany. He volunteered coaching when he was here for T-ball. We’re raising money to help get that field back in play.”
Simmons’ father, Randy Simmons, said his son was born in 1990 on opening day of the professional baseball season. He began playing T-ball at five years old and became a switch hitter, batting with both left and right hands. He played on his varsity high school team before continuing on to the semi-pros.
“From the kid who was the star on his Little League team, to being the man helping teach kids the love of the game in Haines, David’s baseball journey had come full circle,” Randy Simmons said. “It means the world to me that the town of Haines would honor David in such a meaningful fashion. I know how important this would be for him as well.”
Anyone interested in helping to fundraise can donate at a Go Fund Me website by entering “Haines Little League” in the search field.
This year’s Little League activities include 119 baseballers and 23 coaches, the most participants the league has had in recent memory, Loomis said. She said the board is seeking additional members and volunteers.
“With only six members, we’re all doing it all. With more members we could take some of the load off of existing members and spread that out a little better, so we don’t get burned out. The community’s been overwhelmingly supportive,” Loomis said. “The only thing we lack is volunteers stepping up and volunteering.”
Little League games continue through the summer at 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.