:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46520872/GettyImages-149248746.0.jpg)
The Bridgeport Bluefish independent baseball team has announced a charity match for July 30th, 2015 between Connecticut Soccer League's Newtown Pride FC and the USL's New York Red Bulls II.
The match will be to benefit Newtown Youth and Family Services, and is another charity match that the Pride have played in to benefit their hometown in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in December 2012. Back in 2013 I covered a double header between the New England Revolution and the PDL Real Boston Rams along with a Pride-New York Cosmos game.
This time, it's another professional New York team that's willing to lend a hand for a great cause.
"We are proud to be a part of this event," said New York Red Bulls II General Manager Shaun Oliver in the Bluefish press release. "The opportunity to play in a match for this cause, and use the game of soccer as a conduit to enrich the lives of children in our community is something that we as an organization are excited about."
On June 26, 2014, the Bluefish baseball team dedicated 26 seats at the ballpark in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. Newtown Youth and Family Services is a non-profit that has served the Newtown area for over thirty years, you can visit the NYFS website here.
Newtown Pride FC currently sit atop the Connecticut Soccer League standings, with one game left to play. Newtown is also one game away from 2016 US Open Cup qualification and play in the USASA Region I final on June 21 against West Chester Majors.
I'll have more coverage leading up to this game and I'm very glad it's been officially announced. I'm a game day employee for the baseball team on the weekends and knew about it well before the rumblings began a few weeks ago and can't wait to see how the grounds crew squeezes the soccer lines into the outfield.
It's also for a great cause, one that is very close to me since my mom is a teach at Newtown Middle School. Tickets are available by calling 203-210-BLUE, visiting the Bluefish Box Office. Lower level box seat tickets will be sold for $15 and reserved seat tickets will be sold for $12, a map of the baseball seating chart can be found here.