The season for Bambino Buddy Ball opened on Wednesday night at the Cody Park.

It was the first time Bambino Buddy Ball had been played in two years. Last year, it was cancelled due to COVID-19.

“It feels amazing, not only for myself but for all these kids,” Bambino Buddy Ball coordinator Lori Hansen said. “They missed it so much and they’re so excited to have it back.”

Bambino Buddy Ball is a brand of baseball for children of special needs by the Babe Ruth youth baseball league. Children hit the ball off the tee and run the bases with volunteers called Buddies. The program was started by Nikki Barker in memory of her father, Ernie Naranjo.

Jess Lemon ran the program from its inception until its last season of 2019. Hansen, whose daughter played Buddy Ball, became her successor.

“She was ready to retire. She’d been doing it for 10 years and she did an amazing job with the program,” Hansen said. “She was ready to move on. I have a daughter with special needs and she asked if I would take it over.”

Hansen has had to guide the program through a lost year. Fortunately, she said, the demand for the program is still high and they haven’t missed a beat.

“To be honest, I was afraid of having some struggle with some people not coming back into the program after having a year off,” Hansen said. “She But we have more people playing now than in year’s past. I’m excited that last year did not effect it.”

As coordinator, Hansen will hope to oversee the completion of a new field that is designed specifically for Buddy Ball at Memorial Park. Ground broke on the field nearly five years ago but added expenses and red tape have hindered progress.

“We have the preliminary costs and the location, it’s just finalizing it so we can get that done,” Hansen said.

Bambino Buddy Ball will be played at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Cody Park until the Buddy Ball barbecue on Aug. 25.

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