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Former students help M. Hope Park celebrate 100th birthday

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Let&#8217;s hear some chatter! Swing batter, batter, batter, batter.</p><p>So you want to clear the Green Monster and go yard, step up to the plate Saturday for Kids Day presented at the Backyard Wiffle Ball League of Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s field at Madison Street Park.</p><p>The league, the city of Wilkes-Barre and #NEPAChallenge are presenting the free event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kids between the ages of 6 and 12 can play as individuals or as a team.</p><p>League Commissioner (yes, that&#8217;s his title) Kevin Sickle said kids can play ball and participate in other activities that will be held in the two auxiliary fields.</p><p>&#8220;We had talked about doing something like this before,&#8221; said Sickle, 34, of Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>The city joined in as part of the MLB Play Ball initiative by the big leaguers to get kids in the game. #NEPAChallenge, which promotes the positivity of the region, came on board as well.</p><p>&#8220;We can&#8217;t hold a kids&#8217; league,&#8221; Sickle said, but it can reach out to them and invite them to the former North End Little League field for some fun.</p><p>&#8220;We got the field because Little Leagues aren&#8217;t as active as they used to be,&#8221; he said. The league took it over three years and built a replica of the famed left field wall in Boston&#8217;s Fenway Park. There are 11 teams in the league and has players from 12 to the mid 40s. Sickle&#8217;s team Bases Loaded is in the playoffs that started Sunday.</p><p>Andy Lafratte, the city&#8217;s municipal affairs manager, said he hopes the event could become held annually. The city signed up to participate, figuring it would be a good response to the Play Ball initiative.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a good partnership between three groups,&#8221; Lafratte said.</p><p>He encouraged families and children to attend the event.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bases Load plays Kekambas in a game of Wiffle Ball at Diamond City Park in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_wiffleball01.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bases Load plays Kekambas in a game of Wiffle Ball at Diamond City Park in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_wiffleball02.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">James Ziobro on the pitcher&#8217;s mound for the Bases Loaded team in Sunday&#8217;s Wiffle Ball game against Kekambas at Diamond City Park in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_wiffleball02.jpg</photo1><caption1>James Ziobro on the pitcher&#8217;s mound for the Bases Loaded team in Sunday&#8217;s Wiffle Ball game against Kekambas at Diamond City Park in Wilkes-Barre. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_wiffleball03.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mike Flynn of Bases Loaded team connects on a pitch in Sunday&#8217;s Wiffle Ball game against Kekambas at Diamond City Park in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_wiffleball03.jpg</photo2><caption2>Mike Flynn of Bases Loaded team connects on a pitch in Sunday&#8217;s Wiffle Ball game against Kekambas at Diamond City Park in Wilkes-Barre. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Kids Day</p><p>The Backyard Wiffle Ball League of Wilkes-Barre and the city of Wilkes-Barre are teaming up with #NEPAChallenge to hold a free Kids Day.</p><p>The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Madison Street ball field. Kids between the ages of 6 and 12 can attend and play as individuals or a team.</p><p>This is a free community event in cooperation with the MLB Play Ball initiative. For more information, please visit www.bwbl.net or contact the city&#8217;s Municipal Affairs office at (570) 208-4140.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Take the kids out to play Wiffle Ball