HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Civic and youth groups are stepping up to the plate to help Hanover Township on Saturday, August 10 (rain date Sunday, August 11) to run the municipality’s Annual Charity Classic event. In a highly anticipated re-match, business neighbors Bayer and Wegmans will square off for seven innings of softball, with each company donating $5,000 to this year’s beneficiary, the Interfaith Food Pantry, (IFP). IFP is a non-profit organization that feeds financially struggling families throughout Morris County.
Among the lineup of volunteers are the 2019 Hanover Township Little League Championship Softball Team Members, who will take the field to help Bayer and Wegmans in a pre-game warm-up, and retrieve balls during the game. “Hanover Township Little League is excited to be a part of this event,” commented Michael Halibej, HTLL President. “So many of our Township departments and agencies are dedicated to helping our children and families…..having our kids participate in the Charity Classic, which will ultimately benefit so many, is a great way to teach them to give back to the community in a meaningful way.”
Hanover Township’s Cub Scout Pack 40 will also play a significant role. During the opening ceremony, the scouts will serve as the Color Guard for the pledge of allegiance and singing of the National Anthem. Additionally, they’ll help Elizabeth Ann Seton Knights of Columbus members collect canned goods brought by the public as the price of admission to the free event and load the items onto trucks for transporting the donations to the IFP.
In addition to overseeing the food collection, the Knights will distribute programs and sell 50/50’s. Hanover Rotary will cook and sell hot dogs and beverages donated by Wegmans, the proceeds of which, along with the sale of 50/50’s, will benefit the food pantry. IFP volunteers will lend a hand to the Knights, Rotary, and wherever else they can throughout the event.
Hanover Township Mayor Ron Francioli lauded the outpouring of support for this year’s Charity Classic. “We’re delighted, but not in the least surprised that the Knights, Rotary, Little League, Cub Scouts, and IFP are jumping in to help us and our co-sponsors host this very worthwhile event,” stated Francioli. “We’re fortunate to have these groups in our community and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for contributing to the success of everything they partner with us on.”
The Charity Classic event runs from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Malapardis Park in the Cedar Knolls section of Hanover Township as follows (all times are estimates): Opening ceremony: 12:45 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., Softball Game: 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Free Concert by “The Shots with the Bergen County Fire Fighters Bagpipes” 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Throughout the event, there will be free giveaways (while supplies last) and activities for pre-teens and younger children. Members of the public are asked to bring a canned good for the IFP food donation collection, and a chair to sit on at the concert.
For more information, please visit the Township’s website by clicking here.
If, due to bad weather, the event moves to Sunday, August 11, the timeframes will remain the same.
Information on weather-related changes to the event, should they occur, will be posted on the Township’s website and made available by calling the Recreation Department’s activity line at (973) 887-7870 closer to the event.
