The heat wasn’t the only thing emanating all around Joe Martin Stadium on July 16, 2024, as the Bellingham Bells kicked off its WCL All-Star events with a very special Community Champions game. Smiles radiated from every face on the field — and in the stands.
The event featured all-star players teaming up with athletes from the Max Higbee Center (MHB), a Bellingham nonprofit that provides community-based recreation programs for youth and adults with developmental disabilities.
The Community Champions game kicked off a much-anticipated string of events for the West Coast League (WCL) All-Star Game, hosted by the Bells, which took place the following evening, July 17th. MLB Network televised the game, which featured top players from the summer collegiate baseball league.
The Bells pledged to donate 50% of the All-Star Game proceeds to the Max Higbee Center, and scores of attendees showed up to cheer loudly and support the cause. The following night, during the second inning of the All-Star Game, Morrell presented the Max Higbee Center with a check for $10,000.
Pre-Game Excitement
Max Higbee Center Executive Director Kait Whiteside shared the pre-game anticipation from the Max Higbee athletes and staff. “We’ve been energized for weeks,” she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our members to have this amazing stage to play on and to have a really great sense of community.”
Afterward, Whiteside was overjoyed by how the community came out to champion this incredibly fun event. “To see the support and the fans coming out for it is extra special,” she said. “The Community Champions Game encapsulated the pillars of Bellingham: community, recreation, inclusion, and support. I saw this in every moment of the event, from Mayor Lund throwing out the first pitch to fans enthusiastically cheering on every player from the stands.”
Play Ball!
The rules of the Community Champions game were simple: five batters came to the plate each half-inning, with every Max Higbee player getting several chances to hit, run the bases, and cross home plate. They were accompanied at every turn by All-Star players who shouted encouragement and showered MHB athletes with high fives. Nobody was called out and no score was kept because everyone was a winner.
Youth from our local U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, who had just returned from summer training in Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Oregon, presented the colors before the first pitch was thrown, and Max Higbee member Nicole Halverson sang the national anthem.
Throughout the game, joy was ever-present on the faces of all players — All-Stars and Max Higbee members, alike — the Bells staff, and every person in attendance. The Seattle Mariners donated all the jerseys Max Higbee athlete wore for the big game.
“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that, for many, the Community Champions game may be a highlight of our All-Star festivities,” Bellingham Bells General Manager Stephanie Morrell said the day after the game. “The Max Higbee Center is a wonderful resource in our community and the opportunity for our WCL Athletes to play alongside their athletes was truly special. This event was full of joy and certainly one we will aim to repeat in the future!”
‘This Is Bellingham’
Bellingham resident Andrea Shenton has many reasons to love the Max Higbee Center and the Bellingham Bells. Her son, Ian, and brother, Jim, are both Max Higbee members — while her son Austin played for the Bellingham Bells for two years before making it to the Big Game. Austin Shenton is currently part of the Tampa Bay Rays organization and has long been a fervent supporter and fundraiser for the Max Higbee Center.
Andrea was invited to address the crowd after the Community Champions game concluded.
“The Bellingham Bells and the Max Higbee Center: I can’t think of two better organizations to team up,” she said. “This is Bellingham, right?” she announced, gesturing around the stadium and to the stands, where attendees erupted in cheers. “This is Bellingham.”
She went on to praise the Bellingham Bells for its help in raising money for the nonprofit. “This is what they do: It’s all about community, connection and, like they say at Max Higbee: This is also a place for friends. Go Bells!”
Learn more about the Max Higbee Center and how you can volunteer your time or donate to this worthy cause here. The Bellingham Bells’ season continues into August. Don’t miss a chance to enjoy the magic that is Bellingham summertime and our local baseball crew. Tickets can be purchased at the box office on every game day or online here.
