Excerpts from theChicagoTribune.com:
Despite losing for the fifth year in a row, Hinsdale firefighters are proud of the results in a softball tournament Sunday. The Hinsdale Police Department’s team beat the fire department’s team 13-2 in the opener of the Big’s Annual Bare Knuckle Softball Tournament.
Despite the team’s loss, the tournament, hosted by the Hinsdale Fire Department, raised more than $10,000 for local charities.
The event honors the late Deputy Fire Chief Mark Johnson, nicknamed “Big,” who died on duty in September 2010. It includes the tournament, which consisted of nine games between teams from Clarendon Hills, La Grange Park, Western Springs, and Maywood fire departments, the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District, the Pleasantview Fire Protection District, and the Hinsdale public services department, plus raffles and children’s activities.
The La Grange Park Fire Department team won all three of its games, against the Hinsdale police officers, the Western Spring firefighters and, finally, the team from Lisle-Woodridge, to take the championship.
“The heat and humidity didn’t keep spectators away,” Tullis said. “Crowds from all over came to show their support throughout the day. Hinsdale firefighters cooked hot dogs and Juan Marin, who works for the Hinsdale’s public services department, and his family donated their time to cook tacos for everyone in attendance. All the food and drinks were free.”
The Johnson family, several local businesses and firefighters donated raffle prizes, including a ride to school in a Hinsdale fire truck.
In the five years the event has taken place, Tullis said it has raised more than $60,000 for the Illinois Burn Camp and Hinsdale nonprofit organizations, including Wellness House, Safety Village and the HCS Family Services’ food pantry.
“The event is a success … because of the tireless efforts of Hinsdale firefighter/paramedic Jim Nichols,” who plans, organizes and runs it every year on his own time, Tullis said.
If there were a most valuable player award, candidates would include Nichols, Ashley Mahn of the La Grange Park Fire Department team, who was the only woman in the tournament, and Sam Johnson, the grandson of the tournament’s namesake, “who spent eight hours running around, laughing, smiling and jumping in puddles,” Tullis said.
