Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Fame holds its 5th Annual Golf Outing – John Cardullo

By John Cardullo, sportswriter

Photo: RISPSHOF Executive Board member and inductee, John Cardullo, Tom Cook, Steve DiBease and Gary Cook

Like most recent summer days of 2023, Saturday, July 15^th began under dark, cloudy skies with a threat of rain in the air. Spot showers were in the forecast that day and for a while the weather people could not have been more accurate. The clouds became darker as 10am came around and soon the predicted rain begun to fall. This concerned the members of the Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Fame Golf committee, because in a couple hours, 100 golfers were going to tee up their ball and play in the organizations 5^th Annual Golf Outing.

“This event has been the biggest fundraiser since our organization began in 2018,” said Bob Berard who is the organization’s Vice President. “That year we had rain before the event, but it stopped and cleared up before tee-off. This year was similar!” As the golfers began arriving at the Richmond Country Club in Hope Valley Rhode Island, the host golf course for this year’s event, the rain stopped, and the sun broke out, raining nothing but sunshine for the rest of the day.

“The organization held its first dinner event in November 2018 and have inducted 103 members since that time,” Berard added, “we will be inducting another 18 this November and we will be inducting two softball teams in the newly created “Teams of Excellent” this year. In the Men’s category will be Conti Brothers from the 1960’s through the 1970’s and Fair Warning, the women’s team that dominated from the 1990’s into the early 2000’s.”

The annual golfing event brings inducted Hall of Famers together with future Hall of Famers and hopefuls, as well with those who love and support the game of slow pitch softball. “We try to make it a softball “Fanfest”, but on the golf course. A place and event that we get together and have a good time as we share the common interest of softball.” Said Scott Sunderland, who chairs the golf outing, “I want to thank everyone who helped putting this event together, the committee worked hard and produced another first class event!”

The 2023 Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball induction dinner will be held on November 18^th at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, Rhode Island.

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John Cardullo, sportswriter