Ann and Jessica Fidrych Featured on Fox 25 Boston

It was a fun day for everyone in Northborough on Friday morning, August 9, in spite of the rain. The Fox 25 Morning News show in Boston set up in the public park on Route 135 for a live broadcast, and both Ann and Jessica Fidrych were featured in the broadcast. It was an opportunity to plug both Chet’s Diner and the 3^rd Annual “Make Your Mark” Softball Tournament.

“Chet’s is Northborough,” said popular morning host Doug “VB” Goudie. “You can’t have one without the other.”

With that, Jessica served up some hash and eggs, and the cameras scanned a table full of diner goodies – including some supersized chocolate chip pancakes. She explained that Chet’s Diner, a double long Worcester Lunch Car, was established in 1931 and taken over by her family in 1960.

After gushing over the hash, VB turned his attention to Ann and asked about her work with the Mark Fidrych Foundation. “We’re doing a Make Your Mark Softball Tournament,” she explained. “We have 12 teams. We’re raising money to continue Mark’s legacy.”

Ann introduced VB to a couple of boys who will be playing in the August 24 event. VB shared some high fives and thanked both Ann and Jessica for coming on the show.

The Make Your Mark Softball Tournament takes place on Saturday, August 24, at the Casey and Memorial Fields in Northborough. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. The day includes fun-filled games, food and entertainment.

The Mark Fidrych Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax deductible. Last year, the event raised more than $46,000, thanks to the support and participation of the community. Proceeds benefit non-profits that give children with physical, mental and emotional challenges the chance to play sports.

Take a peek at our earlier blog post for more information, and follow The Mark Fidrych Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter @MFidrychFndn. 

Make Your Mark on August 24! 3rd Annual Softball Tournament Takes Place in Northborough

Play ball! Teams are forming now for the 3^rd Annual Make Your Mark Softball Tournament, sponsored by nonprofit The Mark Fidrych Foundation.

The tournament – the foundation’s biggest event – is scheduled for Saturday, August 24, at Memorial and Casey Fields in Northborough. It will be a fun-filled day, with activities like face painting and balloon-making for the kids and appearances by Boston sports celebrities to thrill the kid in all of us.

You can sign up to play in the softball tournament now at Chet’s Diner on Route 20 in Northborough. On the day of the event, registration begins at 9 a.m. Festivities get underway at with a 10 a.m. Opening Ceremony, followed by a noon raffle of a wide assortment of donated items, such as signed sports memorabilia, Red Sox tickets, and golf packages. 

The foundation is named for one of Northborough’s best known and most loved residents, the late Mark Fidrych. Back in 1976, when he was named Rookie of the Year after his first year pitching with the Detroit Tigers, Fidrych singlehandedly made that entire city smile, and soon the rest of the country was taking notice, too. His signature mop of blond curls earned him the nickname “The Bird,’’ for his resemblance to Big Big. He was thrilled to play in the big leagues, and his enthusiasm rubbed off on fans. A combination of this disarming charm and quirky habits like talking to the ball landed him on the cover of Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and many other magazines. His career was cut short by an injury and he returned home to Northborough, but he continued his charitable work until, sadly, he died in a 2009 accident.

The Mark Fidrych Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax-deductible. Last year, the Make Your Mark Softball Tournament raised more than $46,000, thanks to the support and participation of the community. Proceeds benefit nonprofits that give children with physical, mental and emotional challenges the chance to play sports. This spring, the foundation subsidized registration fees for children playing in area Little League Challenger Divisions and sponsored an adaptive skiing trip to Loon Mountain for autistic children.

Learn more about The Mark Fidrych Foundation by visiting markfidrychfoundation.org. Donations may be made online or by contacting Mark Philbin at 978-833-7198. Follow the foundation on Twitter @MFidrychFndn and on Facebook. Thank you for your support!