As a way of remembering fallen police officer Matt Redding, baseball players will participate in an inter-squad scrimmage Oct. 31.
After becoming a police officer in 2001, Redding was killed in the line of duty due to a hit and run accident Oct. 9, 2005. He attended and played baseball at Del Oro and had always been a part of the baseball community.
Many players and their families were close with Officer Redding and appreciate what the school is doing for his family and the foundation they started.
“It’s important to me to play for Matt because we were family friends with him. It’s good to do something for his family because of the unfortunate events that took place,” Christian Kolaskey said.
The goal of the Matt Redding Foundation is to help support students who want to start a career in Protective Forces through scholarships. These scholarships are available to students at Whitney, Rocklin and Del Oro and are donated in Officer Redding’s name.
“We fundraise money so the [Redding’s family] can give money to a few high school students in the form of a scholarship if they are going into the police or military,” Kolaskey said.
The players will dress up in costumes as a way to celebrate Halloween.
“We can dress up as anything as long as it’s school-appropriate. For example some people are dressing up as basketball players, hippies and chefs,” Kolaskey said.
The game includes sophomores, juniors and seniors and is a way for them to finish off the fall ball season. The game is a way for players to bond with each other while supporting a good cause.
The exhibition game will begin at 4 p.m. on the varsity baseball field.