Tournament of Champions opens with special tribute to Frank 'Squeak' Collins
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The Hillsboro 2010 Tournament of Champions opened Saturday, July 24 with a special morning ceremony in memory of Frank "Squeak" Collins.
"Squeak," as he was known to his family and friends, was one of the Founding Fathers of the Hillsboro Little League baseball program. He contributed greatly of his time and financial resources to help ensure the park's long-term success.
The longtime owner of Collins Appliance Store in Hillsboro passed away on May 27 of this year at the age of 89.
On Saturday, Squeak's great-nephew, Cullen Barney, threw out a ceremonial first pitch to begin the 2010 Tournament of Champions. (Cullen is pictured with his dad, John Barney, serving as the catcher, and his grandfather and professional umpire, Gary Heaton, calling the pitch.)
"The ballpark meant a lot to Uncle Squeak for so many years," John Barney said. "It was an honor to be asked for my son to throw out the first pitch for the Little League tournament opener in his honor. But more importantly, to see a smile on my mother's face.
"This really meant a lot to her… The look on her face when she was given the program they printed for the tournament was priceless. Everybody in our family - on all sides - miss him very much. There are a lot of things that he did for the kids in our community that nobody knew about, but true charity needs no recognition. Simply put, he was a good man."
Also on hand for the ceremony were: Margery Barney (Squeak's sister), Fred Barney, Ellen Barney, Colleen Barney, Shannon Heaton and Susanna Barney.
The Hillsboro 2010 Tournament of Champions opened Saturday, July 24 with a special morning ceremony in memory of Frank "Squeak" Collins.
"Squeak," as he was known to his family and friends, was one of the Founding Fathers of the Hillsboro Little League baseball program. He contributed greatly of his time and financial resources to help ensure the park's long-term success.
The longtime owner of Collins Appliance Store in Hillsboro passed away on May 27 of this year at the age of 89.
On Saturday, Squeak's great-nephew, Cullen Barney, threw out a ceremonial first pitch to begin the 2010 Tournament of Champions. (Cullen is pictured with his dad, John Barney, serving as the catcher, and his grandfather and professional umpire, Gary Heaton, calling the pitch.)
"The ballpark meant a lot to Uncle Squeak for so many years," John Barney said. "It was an honor to be asked for my son to throw out the first pitch for the Little League tournament opener in his honor. But more importantly, to see a smile on my mother's face.
"This really meant a lot to her… The look on her face when she was given the program they printed for the tournament was priceless. Everybody in our family - on all sides - miss him very much. There are a lot of things that he did for the kids in our community that nobody knew about, but true charity needs no recognition. Simply put, he was a good man."
Also on hand for the ceremony were: Margery Barney (Squeak's sister), Fred Barney, Ellen Barney, Colleen Barney, Shannon Heaton, and Susanna Barney.
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