HOULTON, Maine — Keeping the memory of one of his best friends alive and well has been a driving force for Brad Fredricks for the past seven years.
Fredrick’s best friend, Sgt. 1st Class Aaron A. Henderson of Hodgdon, was just 33 years old when he died on Oct. 2, 2012, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
“After leaving Aaron’s funeral service for a 3-and-a-half hour ride home, I thought to myself, ‘I can’t let Aaron ever be forgotten,’” Fredricks said. “This event brings Aaron’s friends, family and people who didn’t know Aaron together to share memories and stories of a guy we all miss very much.”
The seventh annual Aaron Henderson Memorial Softball tournament starts at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, with three games; continues at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, with a special opening ceremony and games throughout the day and into the evening. The tournament resumes at 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, with the championship tentatively played around 6 p.m.
A total of 14 teams will be competing in the coed tournament, with an additional five squads on a waiting list should any team cancel, Fredericks said. To keep the games to one-hour, each player steps into the batter’s box with a 2-2 count. Teams must also have three females on the field at all times.
Last year’s event raised $10,690 for the Green Beret Foundation in Henderson’s memory.
Guest speakers for this year’s event are SAD 70 Superintendent Steve Fitzpatrick, who was principal at Hodgdon High School when Henderson was a student. In addition, Kevin Flike, a representative from the Green Beret Foundation, will be in attendance and speak about the foundation.
A large number of items will be raffled off.
“Every year I try my best to reach out to as many businesses as possible,” Fredricks said. “I have reached out to many businesses from northern Maine to southern Maine, as well as social media. The businesses in Houlton have been great supporters of my event since I started this in 2013. This year we have double the raffle items we have had in the past few years.”
In addition, a cornhole tournament will be held, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday and a 5K road race will be held Sunday.
For information on the event, visit the group’s Facebook page.
