The Shelter Island Bucks Appreciation Day scored a big success. Thanks to the efforts of Brian Cass, Shelter Island ACE Hardware, and many generous donors, the Bucks were able to raise over $3,300 during the season that wasn’t.
Five-dollar 50/50 raffle tickets were sold at the hardware store, and by Cass and other volunteers over the past two months.
“I thought maybe we could raise $2,000 if we were lucky, but we got to that number pretty quickly,” said Cass, who serves as Bucks general manager, even though the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League (HCBL) season was canceled due to COVID-19.
With the help of Tom Gleeson, co-GM of the Sag Harbor Whalers, an additional $1,000 in tickets were sold, Cass said.
Don and Janet D’Amato of Shelter Island were the winners of the drawing at Fiske Field on Saturday, August 22 during the Bucks Appreciation Day event that featured free hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as discounted team merchandise for sale. The D’Amatos, longtime Bucks supporters and host family, donated 50 percent of the $1,650 winnings back to the HCBL (and, we later learned, donated the other half to the Shelter Island Action Alliance).
Shelter Island continues to have the league’s most dedicated fans, Cass said. The fundraiser was able to give about $2,500 in support this time around.
“It was a great, positive event that was socially-distanced and restored your faith in people,” said HCBL President Sandi Kruel. “It was great to see how much everyone appreciates the league and the team. I think that every team should do something like this.”
Cass mentioned that once again, he plans to hold a Christmas raffle this year. Look for the details in an upcoming post in the Gazette.
“We don’t always say it, but we appreciate what everyone does for the HCBL and the Shelter Island Bucks,” Cass said. “Without our communities, we wouldn’t be here.”
The Bucks are one of seven teams in the HCBL. College players — typically rising sophomores and juniors — stay with Island host families during the eight-week season. For more information about the league, or to make a donation, visit hamptonsbaseball.org.
