Dunkin Park in Hartford Saturday, raising money for the family of Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier.
Dunkin Park in Hartford Saturday, raising money for the family of Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier.
“They’re a tough group, you know?” Chris Ganzer, a retired Connecticut State Police sergeant said.
A group that held their own during a charity softball game at Dunkin Park Saturday.
“Playing on a baseball and playing softball is not easy. Running 90 feet at a clip and at my age, it’s tough,” Rob Dibble, the former Cincinnati Reds pitcher, said.
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Dibble and his team of “All-Stars” consisting of retired local athletes took on a team of Connecticut state troopers. The play was competitive ending in a 11 to 11 tie, which became a mutually agreed “dual-win."
The game was a way to raise money for fallen Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier’s family. For Dibble, being a Southington native like Trooper First Class Pelletier, helping organize the game was a no-brainer.
“Once I learned about how many people we had in common, it was just the right thing to do,” he said.
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Trooper First Class Pelletier died back in May when he was struck and killed by a truck during a traffic stop on I-84 in Southington. Community members still kept his memory alive, though.
More than a thousand people showed up, for a game Trooper First Class Pelletier was very much a part of.
“Just being able to be out there to swing and have fun, you know, he did everyday playing with his softball team,” Michael Hamel, of Cheshire, said.
For everyone at Dunkin Park, it was about bringing a small bit of joy to a family still processing an immense loss.
“It’s about getting together and hopefully giving the Pelletier family a little bit of happiness, a little time to get away just to reflect on things,” Ganzer said.
Dibble says more than 1,200 tickets were sold for the charity softball game.
