Fun Day hits its 20^th year (2004)       By Vera Buckingham                                   

Twenty years is a long time for a small club tradition. It all started in the fall of 1984 when John Connell invited the “Sons of Beaches” to play an exhibition game against the “Little Britain Rejects”; both Bob and John played for the Rejects.

The game was played in Little Britain and all the proceeds from the game went to the family of a young girl who had cancer. If memory serves me right they bought her a wheel chair with the money.

The Beaches arrived at John & Rihmora's around noon. They played volley ball, bocce, croquet, swam and ate. There had a barbecue before the game and a corn roast after. I helped with the cooking and I have never barbecued so many hamburgers and hotdogs in all my life.

Then it was time to go to the ball field; on went the bandages, knee and elbow protectors. They looked like a bunch of invalids going out on the field; you know, anything to throw off the other team.  That was our fun loving team.

The next spring Bob was in his 49th year and started to play with the Beaches. They played a few games in our area and we held between game barbecues. By fall we had the firm idea of Fun Day. Originally it was lunch at Connell's and dinner at our house the next year it was lunch at our house and dinner at Connell's.

This arrangement seemed like too much traveling so we decided we would have 1 year at our house the next year at John Connell's. Then John got sick and they could no longer host Fun Day, so Bob and I decided we would keep it going.

In the beginning all the expenses for Fun Day fell on us and we did it because we wanted to.  A few years later, at one of our dinners Don Abram, Don Murray and Bill Lafave said that, if we  were going to keep on hosting Fun Day, they would help with some of the expenses and that's how it stood.

The Beaches still only pay for part of the Fun Day. This has always been our gift to the Beaches and we hope that Fun Day will continue on when we are no longer able to do it.

 We have enjoyed all 20 years!

 

                                                    Thank You Bob and Vera (2003)

 

Note: Twenty years was the retirement mark and 2004 was the last year the Buckinghams ran the Labour Day Beaches Bash. All members send their appreciation for a job well done above and beyond the call of duty.