Hinsdale Fire Department to Host 5th Annual Charity Event

Submitted by the Hinsdale Professional Firefighter’s Association.
Photo 1: Chief Rick Ronovksy hitting the ball. Photo 2: The entire Hinsdale Fire Department team. Photo 3: Matt Johnson and his son Sam. Matt is the son of Deputy Chief Mark Johnson.

On Sunday, Sept. 6, the Hinsdale Professional Firefighter’s Association will host “Big’s Second Annual Bare Knuckle Softball Tournament” at Veeck Park in Hinsdale.

The event was created to honor Deputy Fire Chief Mark Johnson, affectionately known as Big, who tragically lost his life in the line of duty while working at the Hinsdale Fire Department in September of 2010.

Hinsdale residents are encouraged to attend this one-day tournament, which starts in the morning and will end in the early evening hours, to cheer on their home team.

The Hinsdale Fire Department will be competing against several neighboring fire departments, including Western Springs, Clarendon Hills, Westmont, La Grange Park, Oak Brook and the Pleasantview Fire Protection District. The tournament is also a charity event to help raise money for Hinsdale’s own Safety Village and the Food Pantry.

Currently in its 32th year, the Safety Village experience has had a positive influence on thousands of children who have enrolled in the program over the years. Safety Village runs every summer in June for two weeks and is available to children entering kindergarten or first grade in the fall and who live in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and/or in School District 181. The HCS Family Services in Hinsdale provides families in DuPage county with services such as mobile food pantries, one-on-one mentoring, emergency housing, and other critical support services for better living.

Raffle prizes, such as tickets to Chicago sporting events, gift cards to local businesses and a ride to school in a Hinsdale fire truck, will be drawn near the end of the tournament.

Tickets for these prizes will be sold at Veeck Park during the softball tournament. There will also be fire truck displays, jump houses, a DJ, free hotdogs, and lots of fun for the whole family.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, Sept. 6 at Veeck Park from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and help your hometown fire department support a good cause. The first game will be between the Hinsdale Fire Department and the Hinsdale Police Department at 8 a.m.