Alec Baldwin, star of NBC’s 30 Rock, will be in Camillus Sunday for fundraisers to benefit West Genesee’s modified sports programs.
Save Modified Sports at West Genesee will hold a 5K run/walk June 3. Following that, participants and spectators at the faculty softball game will see a celebrity ump — Alec Baldwin. The actor who stars in NBC’s “30 Rock” has been a friend to the group — his organization donated $25,000 last year toward the group’s $75,000 goal.
Budget cuts left West Genesee and Camillus Middle School students on a combined team. The tryouts would limit the amount of students who could participate. Organizer John Petosa says the run/walk and faculty softball game could help to put 300 students on the field again, starting in the fall.
Once students leave the middle schools, all sports are competitive with limited spots on a team. The modified sports were not restored in the 2012-13 budget. The group needs to raise $75,000 again this year in order to save the program.
The softball game will pit faculty of Camillus Middle School against faculty of West Genesee Middle School. Baldwin, whose mother and sister live in Camillus, has been asked to be the umpire of that game. He’ll be in town that weekend as he hosts a hydrofracking event in Syracuse.
At the conclusion of the softball game, kids in attendance will be able to participate in a tug of war that pits Camillus Middle School students against West Genesee Middle School students.
In an email to supporters, the organization says Baldwin will serve as a “guest umpire, designated hitter or whatever role [they] give him.”
The run starts at 9 a.m. Sunday. To register online, head to their website.
