Softball game team members from The Posse (police) in blue and the Red Army (firefighters) in red are pictured during their post game job-well-done. Players came from Oxford Hills area towns to participate in the first-ever REACH fundraiser.

Fundraising softball game a success

PARIS – The first-everREACH fundraiser slow pitch softball game, held on August 18 at Gouin field in Paris, was a success, with more than 100 spectators attending.

The game opened with Mahoosuc Community Band members Brian Dunham and Heather Hastings playing a trumpet duet of the National Anthem.

The players, police (the Posse) and firefighters (the Red Army), provided an exciting game, with the Red Army ahead by several points in the early innings of the game.

By the seventh inning, the score was tied and in the eighth inning, Mike Dailey, for the South Paris Police Department, scored the winning run for the Posse team. The final score was 15 to 14.

Team coaches were Duffy Ellsworth for the police and Dave Millett for the firefighters; umpires were Norman Moore and Keith Morse; Norm Croteau threw out the first pitch; announcer was Dennis Gray; scorekeeper was Deb Partridge; and REACH board members and staff handled food preparation and sales. All donated their time for the event. In all, 40 police and firefighters participated in the game.

REACH Director Debbie Dembski said, “Donations, ticket sales, sponsorships and the help of volunteers surpassed our expectations.”