Gulls to honor Mark Weed at July 30 home game
July 28, 2014 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release
NEWPORT, R.I. - As things heat up for the summertime and Newport Gulls games get into full swing, so do the Newport Gulls summer camps. But in recent years, one specific week-long camp has been more important than the others - the Newport Little League camp memorializing Mark Weed.
Weed, the late husband of Rhode Island Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed (who represents Newport), was an active member of the community and tremendous supporter of local youth baseball. He lost his battle with cancer on August 22, 2009.
Every summer, children ages 6-12 have the opportunity to learn and practice the game of baseball under the tutelage of the same Gulls players and coaches who take to the diamond at Cardines Field. The camps, which run four days each Monday through Thursday, ran this summer for five weeks from June 23 until July 24, taking place at Portsmouth Little League, Middletown Little League, and Newport Little League sites.
During each camp, the players, who are among the top collegiate athletes in the country and future professional baseball hopefuls, are able to work one-on-one with the kids to teach techniques, give pointers, and supervise scrimmages. Throughout the week, the youth are able to participate in a wide range of teaching stations that are dedicated to different parts of the game, such as fielding, batting or throwing.
One of Weed's close friends, Kevin Weaver, of Newport, was deeply saddened by Mark's passing, and like many of Weed's friends and family, was hopeful that his memory and passion for youth sports could be kept alive following his death.
Through the Newport Gulls summer camp program, the Mark Weed Memorial Scholarship Fund does just that, providing free summer camp opportunities to children on Aquidneck Island who otherwise could not afford to attend.
Weaver describes the Newport Gulls organization as a "very active part of our community," whether it's through summer camps, special events and appearances, or game nights at Cardines Field. Weed and Weaver experienced their childhood together as best friends, growing up in the City by the Sea.
"Mark and I were inseparable. We played basketball, baseball, football, and many other games together. Mark had a beautiful baseball swing, and was an especially fast runner," Weaver recalled. "I remember Mark as a hard worker and a good-hearted soul who enjoyed a good laugh and valued his friendships." The Mark Weed Memorial Scholarship Fund, a significant part of the Newport Gulls summer baseball camps, was established to allow children in need to attend camps free of charge.
"In honor of his love for sports, memorial donations were made to the Newport Gulls Summer Camp Scholarships, and as a result, the Mark Weed Memorial Scholarship Fund was born," Weaver said.
"Today, it warms my heart every time I see a member of Mark's family. Perhaps even more so, the memories of Mark come alive each and every time I see and talk with Mark's wife, Teresa," Weaver said.
In particular, Weaver will always remember the last conversation he had with his friend as they watched Weaver's son, Michael, play soccer.
This year, Michael Weaver attended the Gulls summer camp at Newport's 5th Ward Little League from July 7-10 - the week in the program set aside annually that honors Weed.
Adjacent to King Park and located directly on the water - with a stunning view of Newport Harbor and the Pell Bridge serving as a backdrop over the foul line - the field where the Mark Weed camp takes place could not be more picturesque.
The Mark Weed Memorial Scholarship Fund will be replenished at an important Newport Gulls home game on Wednesday, July 30. Fund supporters will man the gates at Cardines Field - which open at 5 p.m. for a 6:35 first pitch vs. the New Bedford Bay Sox - and traverse the stands for a 50/50 raffle to raise money for future camp scholarships.
The game night is likewise special because it is Volunteer Appreciation Night. New England Veterinary is sponsoring free 2014 Newport Gulls team baseball card sets to be given out to the first 250 fans, and the dozens of Gulls volunteers who make the season possible will be recognized prior to the pregame ceremony honoring Weed.
Senator Paiva-Weed will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in memory of her husband.
Mark Weed Memorial Scholarship Night was originally scheduled and advertised for Friday, July 25.
It was recently moved to Wednesday, July 30 to accommodate more of Weed's friends and family, and ensure they can be at Cardines Field to celebrate and remember Weed's life, and all the good he has done - and continues to do - for the community.
The Newport Gulls, members of the 12-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation's top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the youth of Newport County via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations - totaling nearly $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are five-time champions of the NECBL - the winningest franchise in league history - and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.
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