CAZENOVIA — Recently, Duncan’s Dash helped the Cazenovia Baseball Softball Association (CBSA) reach its $25,000 fundraising goal to support improvements to the two youth baseball and softball fields at Burton Street Park.

Duncan’s Dash is a children’s fun run that was created to honor the memory of Duncan John Redmond, who was stillborn a week before his due date in August 2016. The goal, according to the organizers, is to provide children with opportunities to engage in recreation and physical activity.

Pre-COVID, the event was held each August for three years in partnership with the Village of Cazenovia and Project CAFÉ, whose student members made popcorn and cotton candy, ran with the kids, and helped to set up. Project CAFE, Inc. also acted as the non-profit recipient of the donations on behalf of Duncan’s Dash.

A portion of the proceeds from the events were put toward the purchase of baby swings, which are now located at Lakeside Park. The remaining funds were combined with donations from Duncan’s parents, Jessica Garay and Garrett Redmond, and his grandparents, Ken and Pat Garay and Gerard and Gigi Redmond, to provide a $5,000 contribution to the CBSA fundraiser.

“We are thrilled to know that Duncan’s brothers, Graham and Jordan Redmond, along with their friends, will be able to play on the new fields for years to come,” said Jessica.

According to Jessica, October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and Oct. 15 is International Day of Remembrance for all babies who have died.

“Pregnancy loss during the first 20 weeks is known as a miscarriage, while after 20 weeks it is considered a stillbirth,” she explained. “Unfortunately, one in four pregnancies will be lost. There are many reasons for a pregnancy loss to occur, some of which are not well understood. We hope that by sharing Duncan’s memory, more awareness is also drawn to the reality of pregnancy loss. To find out more, you can visit the March of Dimes website. Another great organization dedicated to supporting parents who have lost babies is Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.”

On Oct. 2, Jessica presented a $5,000 check to CBSA President Brian Gardner on behalf of Duncan’s Dash. Also in attendance at the presentation were Garrett and his two sons, Project CAFÉ President Hannora Race, and Village Mayor Kurt Wheeler.

“We are so honored that Jessica and her family made such a generous donation to our field improvement project,” said Gardner on Oct. 6. “We, like so many who learn their story, are moved by what Duncan’s Dash represents. We plan to continue to honor his memory [by dedicating] the fields to him, and by continuing to collaborate with his family in future fundraising events. This contribution literally got us to our fundraising goal. The field improvements will begin this week, and we plan to work on them for the rest of the month in preparation [for] our spring season.”

CBSA launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the Burton Street field improvement project on Aug. 13, 2021.

The GoFundMe page states that both fields will be completely refinished with a dirt infield and surrounding grading and drainage improvements that will create a safe and reliable playing surface. Field 1 will also feature a professionally built dirt pitching mound for player-pitch youth baseball, and Field 2 will feature a portable pitching mound that will enable multi-sport and age group field use for youth baseball, softball, coach pitch, and t-ball.

According to Wheeler, the fields are used by kids from all over the area, but they are normally only funded by village taxpayers.

“CBSA has done an amazing job to raise funds to help improve the playing fields,” said Wheeler. “Their efforts have allowed us to provide the best possible conditions for our players while also keeping village taxes fair . . . This story is an amazing example of the partnerships and collaboration that occur in our community. Project CAFE, CBSA and the village all partnered with the Redmond and Garay families to turn a tragic event into a long-term positive for future children. The Duncan’s Dash events were a joyful and fun celebration of Duncan and the funds raised have improved our playground and playing fields for countless local kids.”

Project CAFÉ is a student-directed non-profit organization that promotes drug- and alcohol-free activities, music, art, community service, and scholarship in the Cazenovia area. For more information, visit projectcafe.org.

To learn more about CBSA, visit cazbaseballsoftball.org.