Miguel Navarro
Staff Writer
The Ontario Tower Buzzers held their weekly Family Sunday event Aug. 23 at ONT Field.
The night was capped off with the Tower Buzzers defeating the Inland Empire 66ers, 11-1.
Family Sunday is held every home Sunday game of the season and offers $2 hot dogs, kid-friendly activities and an opportunity for the kids to run the bases after the game.
This specific day allowed the Buzzers organization to honor and commemorate the life of Jackie, the bald eagle that passed away Aug. 9 in Big Bear, California.
“Family Sunday is really fun, like thinking about the community in a fun way and how we can celebrate them,” director of community relations Nina-Grace Montes said.
To truly give back to the community and show their appreciation to Jackie, the Buzzers donated 50% of ticket proceeds to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
This non-profit organization is known for operating the livestreamed cameras of bald eagles in the Big Bear area since 2015.
Over $20,000 was raised for them and their efforts.
Throughout the stadium and the game, the Buzzers made sure to make Jackie the center of attention.
Her story captured the attention of people across the world after her health was a mystery for weeks until her eventual passing.
Members of Friends of Big Bear Valley were given the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.
Fans even had the opportunity to sign posters honoring the late eagle, and the live camera was played on the jumbotron between innings.
With this topic, the Buzzers wanted to make sure that they properly honored Jackie and highlighted her impact.
“We were really sad once we learned she had passed,” Montes said.
“So we figured why not use our platform to be able to celebrate her life and the impact that she had not only in the Inland Empire and Big Bear Valley but across the country.”
For both baseball fans and animal enthusiasts, the Buzzers gave them a chance to enjoy both of their interests.
“It was the Jackie celebration that brought me and my mom here,” game attendee Wendee Silva said. “I really wanted my brother and my mom to see this awesome stadium.”
The minor league affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers is in its inaugural season as an organization.
Before their adoption in Ontario, there was no professional baseball team in the city.
Throughout the season, they have emphasized community-centered events and thinking of the interests of fans.
Examples of this include the Fernando Valenzuela mural in the stadium and bobblehead nights for fan favorites such as Joe Kelly.
With Family Sunday, that was the main focus for the day.
Throughout the stadium, there were fun activities for the kids to enjoy, such as a splash pad, a playground and craft activities.
The stadium was full of families and friends getting together, and the children enjoying these games.
Affordability is also a perk for Family Sunday. The stadium offers lower prices, including $2 hot dogs.
For fans like Vanessa Carcamo, who attended the game with her sister and her two nieces, the game gave them a nice opportunity to enjoy an affordable day out.
“This is like one of our last events for the summer… I mean we’re in Southern California; it’s nice not to have to drop a few hundred dollars to have a nice day out,” Carcamo said.
For employees at ONT Field, these Sunday games are more special than any other day of the week.
“All the families here, having all the kids here, it’s fun to enjoy the ballpark experience with the younger audience, and it’s very welcoming for everyone,” employee Nikolas Munguia said.
Family Sunday closed with a Tower Buzzer victory and kids running the bases.
Miguel Navarro can be reached at miguel.navarro@laverne.edu.
Miguel Navarro is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and is a staff writer for the Campus Times. He also serves as a broadcaster at the University of La Verne, and he hopes to one day work in sports media.
