Milford, Foran High To Honor Danielle Kemp With Field Dedication

MILFORD, CT — At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18 a dedication ceremony will be held at Joseph A. Foran High School where the newly renovated softball field will be named in honor Danielle Kemp, 19, who passed away after a courageous cancer battle.

The field will now be called "The Danielle Kemp Memorial Field." The dedication is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. followed by the Foran vs. Jonathan Law softball game. She died in March of 2017. The city spent $1 million to upgrade the field, the New Haven Register reports.

Kemp, a 2015 graduate of Foran in Milford, was diagnosed with a rare, inoperable brain tumor in 2016 while playing softball with the Stratford Brakettes. In high school, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer, which was in remission. Kemp was a three-sport athlete at Foran and an All-State softball player in 2015. She played softball her freshman year at Stony Brook in 2016. (To sign up for Milford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Kemp was hit in the head with a pitch while playing softball for the Stratford Brakettes. After testing for a concussion, doctors discovered Kemp had an inoperable brain tumor.

Kemp's fight has caught the attention of the softball community. Two-time Olympic pitcher Jennie Finch tweeted about Kemp, and other athletes and schools held fundraisers to help Kemp in her battle.

At Foran from 2011-2015, Kemp was a standout for the girls softball team, playing catcher and then shortstop.

Kemp was a recipient of the Fairfield County Sports Commissions Chelsea Cohen Award for her inspirational battle and strength in overcoming life-altering obstacle.

Kemp was also selected as the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance Bob Casey Courage Award winner.