By Anthony Bosco
The families of founders Larry Feigenbaum and Daniel Hennesey will be on hand to help the Glen Oaks Little League kick off its 50th season Saturday, participating in the league’s opening day ceremonies and parade down Union Turnpike.
Also on hand will be local dignitaries, including state Sen. Fran Padavan (R-Bellerose), state Assemblyman Mark Weprin (D-Bayside), state Assemblywoman Ann Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) and City Councilman Sheldon Leffler (D-Hollis), and 12 of the league’s past presidents, said current league President Joseph Conway.
“We put in a lot of time and effort,” said Conway, now in his second year at the helm of the 50-year-old organization, originally known as the Bellerose Little League. “It’ll be nice to have the Feigenbaum and Hennesey families down.”
Feigenbaum, who also founded the Glen Oaks Volunteer Ambulance Corps, started the league with Hennesey in 1952 with a handful of local youngsters and teams.
The league, which serves boys and girls ages 5 through 16 from Glen Oaks, Floral Park, New Hyde Park and Bellerose, now boasts a membership of 422 children and 32 teams. The league sponsors t-ball, softball and hardball programs.
Hennesey, who died in 1996, will be represented by his sons, Daniel Jr. and Brian, while Eva Feigenbaum, the widow of Larry, who died in 1998, is also expected to attend, Conway said.
Corey Bearak, who played for the Glen Oaks Little League in the late 60s, now co-manages the Rockies, a girls 11- and 12-year-old softball team in the Major Division. The team won last year’s District 26 championship.
Bearaks, who is also the league’s legislative liaison, said he is looking forward to this year’s opening day ceremonies.
“It’s going to be nice,” he said. “Most of the past presidents will be there.”
The ceremonies will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Tenney Park, also known as the Glen Oaks Oval, at 74th Avenue and 260th Street. Honorary plaques will be presented to the Hennesey and Feigenbaum families as well as special acknowledgement to all the past presidents. Ceremonial first pitches will be tossed out by the local politicians.
Following the ceremonies, the league will embark on its annual parade, which will start at the field, proceed up 260th Street to Union Turnpike, down to Little Neck Parkway and then back up 74th Avenue to the oval.
At the conclusion of the parade the league will hold a raffle and offer free refreshments to all the ballplayers. After that, the league will officially begin its 50th intramural season with two games in the International Division for 9- and 10-year-olds at 12:30 p.m.
A single game in the boys’ Major Division will follow at 2:30 p.m. and the girls’ softball Major Division at 5 p.m.
“It should be an exciting day,” Conway said. “It should be a nice celebration.”
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
