Fall River McDonalds baseball volunteers will be honored with a monument
FALL RIVER — The legacy of Sneaker and Evelyn McDonald has not faded. And many of those who so enjoyed Flint’s first youth baseball family want to make sure he never does.
The plan is to erect a first-class monument to George “Sneaker” McDonald and Evelyn McDonald in Lafayette Park, the longtime home of Fall River Junior Twilight League baseball. Long ago, the baseball field was named after the McDonalds who dedicated their hearts to the league for six decades.
The monument has already been designed. On November 10, at the Eagle Event Center, 35 N. Main St., there will be a fundraising event (5-8 p.m.) to pay for the monument. Final approval from the park board would be required to place it.
The cost of the event is $20. The cuisine is very Fall River: chourico and fries sandwiches. DJ Armand Bérubé, who has long been associated with the league, will provide entertainment. The hosts are Chuck Thibault, who succeeded Sneaker McDonald as league president, Don Rochefort and John D. Lynch.
Remembering Sneaker McDonald:The retired FRPD officer was the heart and soul of Twilight League baseball
Sneaker was a former Fall River Police Department officer who, along with his wife, Evelyn, had a passion for helping the town’s youth, not just those who played in the Junior Twilight League.
“Anyone from Flint knows who Sneaker was,” Thibault said.
Interestingly, Thibault noted, the place where the monument would stand – a bit to the right of directly behind the safety net – is just behind the place in the cement bleachers where Sneaker sat to watch the matches.
The monument, based on the current design, would be 5 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. The top of the monument would be a baseball, with the pictures of Evelyn and Sneaker.
Sneaker served in virtually every capacity possible in Junior Twilight. He and Evelyn, the longtime secretary, were synonymous with the league. It was their baby.
“I built a pretty cool legacy”Jerry Cadorette is a world arm wrestling champion. He also sells RVs in Berkley.
“Together they never had children,” Thibault said, “but anyone who knew them will tell you they had hundreds.”
Tickets can be purchased by contacting Monuments Committee members Lynch (774-930-2905), Thibault (774-520-5133), Rochefort (401-623-7579), Linda Pereira (508-965-8266), Mike Herren (508-840-5735), or Tom Chippendale (508-264-5735). They can also be purchased at Scotty’s Pub (202 Pleasant St.), Gentlemen’s Quarters (64 N. Main St.) and Mesa 21 (21 Lindsey St.).
