D4 PRESIDENT DAVE BIGELOW!

Imagine a period of time when you remain focused upon a group of guys that are playing softball, ensuring their safety while having fun! .... Particularly at their age- 55+. Yes, some are quite healthy, and yes, some are not. However, you realize that all players, managers, along with volunteer umpires and scorekeepers, need your attention every season, game day or not. You remain on call for all the D4 league at their beckoned call- You chose to dedicate your years to the rec D4 league.... Now you face your own health issues and perhaps realize your wife would like to spend more time together- without interruptions:))... You announced that April 1, 2025 you would be retiring . . . .
I had not been part of the D4 family for the length of time Dave has endured however, I realized the time he spent keeping our D4 family going, on and off the field! As I began to take more pictures and sharing them with players, I had also made friends with David Morrill, the genius who wrote the software for the duckdns stat site. I shared with him my interest on possibly posting game highlights on the stat site as I had been posting them on my personal website and using a good bit of space- although, realizing there would be too much space needed for all these pics on the stat site. David Morrill reached out to Dave on possibly adding some pics on the site- he gave his approval. I will always remember the day, at Everglades fields, I asked Dave's opinion on approaching the D4 managers on their thought creating a second website for the league featuring team pictures and action shots of their games... Dave replied to ask them- I did and it was a collective yes! Each team contributed $20.00 per team covering my cost to post the website on this provider... And so my time began with D4- thanks to Dave Bigelow! As you all have known, more things spiraled off from merely pictures.... along with my husband, Nick, and all of you- I truly believe our D4 family became an even stronger group of camaraderie than most other softball divisions- gathering together for special events, welcoming new players, recognizing the special souls that surround us two days a week! Once I learned Dave Bigelow was retiring there was no second guessing, no cupcakes at the field for him- he deserved a formal farewell and special thank you for he and his wife, Jane! .... Interesting, his board never gave it a thought and 2 managers thought all he should get was cupcakes at the field and a wooden plaque!! Cupcakes have been for special birthdays and a going away party. The wooden plaque idea- a gift to the departed D4 player's family!! NO!!! NO WAY!! DAVE BIGELOW DESERVES MORE THAN THIS!! So.... I began planning the special dinner party to be held on April 1st! And here is how it went . . . a home run for all of us!! Thank you so very much for all who gathered together, providing a great evening for Dave Bigelow! THANK YOU DAVE BIGELOW!!
This first announcement went out to ALL Winter season players the end of February- I've learned that some managers do not forward on to their guys! So I entered all your emails into my data base and started the event rolling! A head count was needed to determine the size of facility needed... thanks to all of you for your RSVP!
The Invitation & Attendees!
140- planned on attending- We were assigned the 2 banquet rooms at Rohan according to initial RSVP responses. I thank Modesto Alcala for his introducing me to Dave at Prima for help in planning the meal!- It certainly made my task effortless- Prima made it smoooth! One key request- a linen tablecloth event- done! This is not a paper plate dinner!!
Thanks to Debbie Schrader for welcoming you all- and signing you in:) As you waited you saw a few captured pictures of Dave from when I began taking pictures for D4. All signed the Clincher ball - a fitting gift Nick would present later to Dave... the origination of softball! Seen below is David Morrill who wrote the software for the stat site- beginning in 2018.
Dave arrived and was surprised to be greeted by two key people before the event- Andrew Esposito from Park & Rec stopped by personally thanking Dave for his volunteer time. Jammel Cutler, from Daily Sun, asking about his time with D4 and taking this picture- holding the Clincher! I thank both of them for taking their personal time to acknowledge Dave!

THE EVENT! . . . . .

REMEMBER TO CLICK ON ANY IMAGE THROUGHOUT THE ARTICLE TO DISPLAY SEPERATELY- AND PRINT IF YOU WISH!
THX To Ben Osborne For Playing Throughout The Evening! .... I captured all of you at the start- hoping I didn't miss any of you:) All shared the same expression- big smiles!! Hmmm.... did you recognize the guys without their hats?? :))

.....The Slide Show.....

I gathered up as many as I could of the players attending... may have missed some- sorry, ran out of time! The slide show ran throughout the evening:)
click on an image to enlarge and click on the arrow to continue displaying- print any if you would like:)

The Dave Bigelow Story.... and to all a great night :)