All-Stars Put On A Show, OLG Donates $25,000
Descendants of the Chatham Coloured All-Stars baseball team put on a show Saturday for family, friends, and fans at Fergie Jenkins Field in Chatham for the second annual Field of Honour game.
The games started at 11 am with a 50-and-over group playing, followed by a 49-and-under group playing at 1pm. In between games, OLG donated $25,000 to the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society and Black Mecca Museum.
“The second annual Field of Honour went above and beyond my expectations,” said CKBHS and Black Mecca Museum executive director Sam Meredith.
OLG was also showcasing the new MLB The Show video game, and had Baseball Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins Jr. on hand to sign autographs. Jenkins’ father played for the All-Stars.
“Having the OLG out to show their “Chatham Plays On” project and bring Fergie Jenkins Jr. out for the day was awesome. But we are also beyond grateful for the amazing and generous donation that they have made to the museum. I can’t thank them enough for that,” said Meredith. “I also can’t thank every single person who came out, volunteered, played, sponsored and donated enough either. Keeping the Chatham Coloured All-Stars legacy alive is a community effort and I think we all are doing them proud.”
The Chatham Coloured All-Stars were the first and only all-Black baseball team to win a provincial championship in Canada when they did so in 1934. In October, the All-Stars will receive the Order of Sport and will be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
