By Kathy Chouteau
It’s got soul, softball, happens on a Sunday and is coming around the bend. Soulful Softball Sunday is happening Aug. 24 at 9 a.m. at Nicholl Park in Richmond, with this year’s event being named in honor of a longtime Richmond leader: “Joe Fisher, Sr. Day.”
Soulful Softball Sunday will not only take time to honor a whole host of other Richmond leaders—including 12-year-old Rynahia—but also give away 250 stocked backpacks, offer 75 vendors with community info, arts/crafts, etc., provide music by D.J. Alex and D.J. Ron, raffle off gift cards from Bay Area eateries, and, of course, softball games.
“This isn’t just softball. It’s soul work. It’s community work. It’s Richmond at its best,” said organizer Rodney Alamo Brown about the annual event. Alamo said that the day’s activities will be hosted by Bianca Brown.
Richmond leaders also being honored that day will include many people well known throughout the city, such as Sonya Y. Smith-Hodge; Dr. Kerby Lynch; Guadalupe Avalos; Dr. Jamelia Brown; Zee Handous; Jawad Dayem; Helene Burks; Armond Lee; Dr. Ameer Loggins; Chief Bisa French; Steve Alameda (Posthumous); Darien Patrice; Maurice Slocum; and the Men and Women of Purpose staff.
“I am excited, thrilled and honored to be honored,” said Joe Fisher, Sr. about being the headline honoree for this year’s event. “I’ve been attending for years, never expecting to be honored at any one. I am truly honored,” he added.
Alamo revealed that this year at Soulful Softball Sunday, they will be doing something “new, exciting and fun.” During each softball game, multiple choice trivia questions about Richmond will be asked of the crowd by two people randomly selected from it. If the crowd gets the answer right, both people will get a gift card. Topics might include Richmond’s rich history, local landmarks and parks, notable residents, community heroes and fun facts about the city’s neighborhoods.
According to Alamo, the schedule for Soulful Softball Sunday will be: 9 a.m., Church in the park with Oakland Interfaith Community Choir; 9:50 a.m., Singing of the national anthem by Cherronda Gray and the “First Pitch” by the new WCCUSD Superintendent Cheryl Cotton; 10 a.m., Softball Game 1, Hott City vs Packers; 11:15 a.m., Softball Game 2, Richmond vs North Oakland; 12:30 p.m., Softball Game 3, Winner of game 1 vs Berkeley; 1:15 p.m., Awards ceremony and entertainment; 2:15 p.m., Community kickball game 1; 3:15 p.m., Community kickball game 2; and 4:15 p.m., Championship game.
“Bats swinging, hearts uniting—this is Soulful Softball Sunday,” said Alamo.
