On Friday the Elizabethtown Sports Park kicked off the youth baseball tournament season with Baseball Hall Of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. Ripken was at the park to celebrate the start of The Ripken Experience Elizabethtown that will help youth baseball players experience what it is like to play at the major league level .
“So we wanted to create, you know, a tournament experience that would make everyone feel like Big League. It is really important for us to have really good quality fields to really do a lot of the same things as the big leaguers do. The concept was to bring those types of experiences to more kids so they can really enjoy the game of baseball better. So that’s really what the Ripken Baseball Experience is. I mean, you have a chance to have your own walk-up music, all the amenities that are there. We want to create that experience for all of you,” said Ripken Baseball Founder Cal Ripken, Jr. Ripken shared why the Elizabethtown Sports Park was chosen to become part of The Ripken Experience. “We couldn’t be happier and more proud. This complex is a beautiful complex. In order for us to come out, branch out and grow across the country, the main thing is to have a big league caliber type complex, and this definitely qualifies as a big league quality one.”
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory shared his thoughts on seeing this project become a reality. “Another great day at the Etown Sports Park. You know, we announced this collaboration with Ripken Experience last summer, which was our ten year anniversary at the sports park. So we’re really proud of what we’ve done out here and the success that we’ve had out here. But you never rest on your laurels. And you always look for ways to improve. We’re really excited to partner with Ripken Experience. And we think this is just going to be another improvement for not only our sports park, but our community, and continue to grow and get better.”
The tournament continued through the weekend with 30 teams, 54 games and more than 1500 visitors to the city. Twenty additional baseball tournaments will be held at the complex through the fall, welcoming in over 1000 teams this year.
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Today is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming primary elections. “We want to make sure everybody is eligible to vote. Voter registration closes at 4:00 PM. We encourage everybody to go to GoVoteKY.com to check your registration. If you’re not registered, you can register right there,” stated Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. For more information, you can also visit the Hardin County Clerk’s Office website at HTTPS://HCCOKY.org.
“The Lawn Party” concert series will kick off this Friday at the grand re-opening of the newly renovated bandstand at Freeman Lake Park. Mayor Jeff Gregory will cut the ribbon to officially kick off the event. Seating will be festival style so those attending will need to bring a chair or blanket but no outside food and drink will be permitted as each concert will feature on-site food and beverage sales.. All ages are welcome to attend. Parking will start at 5pm and the stage act will begin at 6pm. To see future dates and artists participating in the series, go to https://EtownEvents.com
It is opening day at the Elizabethtown Sports Park as they celebrate the start of the inaugural season of the The Ripken Experience tournament season. “It is a very exciting weekend for those of us at the Elizabethtown Sports Park because it is the kickoff to a whole series of The Ripken Experience baseball tournaments. That will happen starting this weekend running all the way through October,” said spokesperson Janna Clark. The opening night festivities include a game featuring hometown 12-under talent. “The opening night is a very exciting event for us where we will feature a ceremonial first pitch and a ribbon cutting. It is go time and time to kick this really exciting season off. The featured game will be the hometown team E-Town Shock playing against the Motor City Hit Dogs coming here from Michigan. We would love for people locally to come out and catch a game of The Ripken Experience baseball.” More information can be found at EtownSports.com
The Cabinet of Health and Family Services is partnering with The Foundation For A Healthy Kentucky to encourage Kentuckians to improve immunity and overall health with a new campaign called “Raise Your Guard, Kentucky.” Data shows that chronic conditions have increased since the start of the pandemic. The campaign encourages people to take several steps such as eating well, moving more and keeping up with annual check-ups, screenings and immunizations. According to a statement about the campaign, Kentucky Commissioner For The Department For Public Health Dr. Steven Stack states that small healthy choices add up to a big positive impact. The campaign includes a video series featuring Kentuckians sharing why and how they stay healthy. Resources are available in several languages and can be found at RaiseYourGuardKY.org