Who won the inaugural Battle of the Badges dodgeball tourney for Lisnow Center in Hopkinton?
Tim DumasHOPKINTON — For an inaugural event, this one may have already outdone — and outgrown — itself.
Police and fire departments from 16 towns — from as far away as Middleborough — chucked foam balls at each other for two and a half hours Saturday morning at Hopkinton Middle School. The overflowing parking lot and bleachers highlighted the interest for the first Battle of the Badges dodgeball tournament.
The fundraiser for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center in town included fast-paced games (most were completed in under five minutes) and team names like “The Misfits” and “Not Cops.” Teams from Ashland, Auburn, Bellingham, Devens, Douglas, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Lexington, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Natick, Worcester and Wrentham came well-armed for a day of throwing and, of course, dodging.
When Respite Center co-founders Sharon Lisnow and birthday girl Mary McQueeney were interviewed before the competition in a nearby hallway stuffed with auction items (autographed Ray Bourque and Boston Red Sox 617 jerseys among them), they both off-handedly mentioned: “there go our unicorns.”
The “wait, what?” moment quickly came into focus — the Battle also served as a what a brochure called a “kickoff to Boston Marathon season,” a slightly larger event that all starts here next month.
With fire department and therapy dogs roaming the sidelines, the action played out with a pounding, appropriate soundtrack —“Whip It,” “I’m Still Standing,” and “Shake it Off” among the selections.
One song not heard, but still keeping with the theme if it had been, was “I’m So Excited.” But the singer of that 1982 hit helped start things off. Ruth Pointer, who lives in Hopedale, sang the national anthem, accompanied by Lisnow Center students performing sign language.
The Pointer Sisters singer wore a bright yellow sweater with two dots and a grin, a Defacto smile emoji that summed up the day’s emotion.
The dodgeball kept spirits high, and when a short break in the action was called, two inflatable unicorn mascots flooded the floor. The Boston Athletic Association, which puts on the Boston Marathon, adopted the unicorn as its symbol long ago.
The 129th edition of the race steps off downtown on April 21 and Conor Sayles, who is Pointer’s son and a Hopkinton firefighter, is running his first marathon that day. Sayles is running to support the Lisnow Center, which “provides emotional and physical support for individuals with disabilities and their families,” according to its website.
When asked why he is running, Sayles said, “I have so many reasons, but mainly, the Respite Center is such an amazing place and all the money I raise goes to one of those little kids. If we can pay for their tuition, I can deal with the 26.2.”
Sayles’ team had just lost a match, but the tournament is double elimination.
“It’s been fun,” he said. “I’m not a fan of losing that last game, but we’re still in it.”
His team, wearing BAA-colored blue and yellow tops, ended up playing another Hopkinton Fire team — the Eden Hall Ducks — in the fire department semifinals. Eden Hall won and faced Bellingham Fire for that division’s championship.
Sayles volunteers weekly at the Respite Center, with joy.
“Honestly, they help me out more than I help them out,” he said. “It’s been a life-changing experience, and I just love spending time with them. Any way I can give back to them and the community of Hopkinton, I’m more than willing to do it.”
The tournament featured two one-on-one matchups to settle matches. Brian Beaudette, Sayles' teammate, played in one of the mano-a-mano whip-offs, eventually prevailing.
“You’ve just got to rise to the occasion; don’t want to let anyone down,” he said. “There’s a big crowd here so I’ve got to put a show on for them.”
Beaudette also commented on the unsurprising amount of banter between departments leading up to the event.
“It’s always a good time trash-talking to your friends and your brothers in the other towns,” he said, “so it’s good to get us all together and get a competitive nation going.”
Bellingham Fire was unable to knock down the Natick Police team that claimed the large championship trophy — and bragging rights.
The event was so well run and attended that the second Battle may move next door to the larger high school next year. But first, time to bask in the glow of a successful, inaugural kickoff.
“It just warms our hearts and to know that all of these individuals playing today are giving up their Saturday to come and support us and our cause and our kids,” Sharon Lisnow said. “It’s amazing to us.”
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached attdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Instagram at tdumas1.