[dropcaps] A [/dropcaps] s many of you know by now our council has been awarded the contract to continue operating the concession stand at Valley Ridge Park in Cedar Hill, Texas through 2017. Thanks in large part to the relentless efforts of our brother knight Allen Reitmeier, the Cedar Hill Baseball Association’s (CHBA) spring and fall seasons will continue to have a top notch concession stand to serve its little league baseball teams. The CHBA hosts the 8 and under (8U) and the 14 and under (14U) little leagues baseball games at Valley Ridge Park.
Already the spring season is in full swing and our brother knights have been busy working shifts during the week and on weekends. Sundays are required when tournaments are added to the schedule. To give you an idea of the magnitude of effort required to run this operation, here’s a brief look into the staffing needs for the concession stand:
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- Mondays – 1 shift, 3 Knights – 5:30PM–9:30PM
- Tuesdays – 1 shift, 3 Knights – 5:30PM–9:30PM
- Thursdays – 1 shift, 3 Knights – 5:30PM–9:30PM
- Saturdays – 3 shifts, 10 Knights – 8:00AM–9:00PM
- Sundays – 3 shifts, 10 Knights – 8:00AM–9:00PM (during tournaments only)
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Now, each of these shifts can at times struggle to keep up with a rush of hungry and thirsty crowds, but there are also moments when knights can be seen staring into space as they catch a breather. One thing’s for sure, and I speak from experience, there’s nothing like the adrenaline rush you feel when the lines of customers begin to grow and can even seem endless at times. Fortunately the modern facility is well equipped and is kept well stocked by Allen, who does all the shopping when he’s not busy scheduling knights and scrambling to fill last minute tournament games and/or shift cancellations.
Our menu consists of the traditional ballpark concession items, including hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, french fries with cheese, nachos with chili, cheese and jalopeños, frito pies, soft drinks of all kinds including Gatorade, bottled water, coffee and hot chocolate. New this year are chicken sandwiches and breakfast croissants. But one of the goofiest items we sell is the surprisingly popular pickle pops, frozen pickle juice in a small plastic cup, very popular with the kids and even some adults. And let’s not forget the ball players’ favorites are sunflower seeds and bubble gum, widely known to provide stress relief for coaches and ball players alike.
The World Series is Coming Up Soon
The spring season culminates in the “World Series” which takes place June 26-30. The rigorous 5-day daily schedule during the World Series will be from 7AM – 9:30PM. Last year 71 teams participated with some coming from North Texas and others from Arkansas, Oklahoma and some as far as Georgia. According to Allen, last year it took about 100 shifts in order to provide service to meet the concession needs of the players, coaches and their families. This is truly an all-hands-on-deck scenario, and we need all the help we can get.
New Knights Wanted
If you’re a new Knight who has not had the opportunity yet to contribute some time to this most important fund raising activity for our council, I highly encourage you to contact Allen Reitmeier anytime and let him know you’re interested in helping out. But don’t worry, he’ll go easy on you and he’ll provide enough training for you to feel comfortable working with other pros beside you, who will gladly lend their support. You’ll be surprised how rewarding this experience can be.
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