Boston-Area Little Leagues Hold Bittersweet Opening Ceremonies
BOSTON (CBS) – Saturday's opening ceremonies for a number of Boston-area Little Leagues were bittersweet in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.
A somber ceremony was held to open the Savin Hill Little League's season.
Eight-year-old Martin Richard, who was killed in the attack, was honored during the ceremony.
Photos: Martin Richard Honored During Savin Hill Little League Opening Ceremonies
Boston firefighters lined the street leading to the field where Richard had played; all of them wearing shirts with his name on them.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
Little League Parade
The shirts said "We are Martin's Firefighters" on the front, and "Richard" with the number 8 on the back.
Teammates of Martin high-fived those emergency workers as they made their way down the parade route.
Governor Patrick attended the ceremony.
"I think people are taking strength from each other, which is what it means to have a community," Governor Patrick said about the events. "It's unimaginable that someone would take a child like any one of these from us."
Earlier in the morning in Watertown, Governor Patrick showed up along with Watertown Police Chief Ed Deveau to thank emergency workers for their efforts last week in capturing Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev after a shootout and an intense day-long search.
Police officers and firefighters – many of whom are coaches or dads of Little Leaguers – were recognized for their efforts.
During the ceremonies, Deveau handed out "Watertown Strong" t-shirts to members of the color guard.
Watertown Police Officer Tom Dicker, who coaches in the town's Little League, said playing on the teams will help bring a sense of normalcy to the town's children, including his own son.
"It means a lot to the kids, and it's kind of a way for us to let everything go and move forward," said Dicker, who worked a 22-hour shift during the manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
