Page 41 - APRIL 2019 FOP MAGAZINE

Knights ready to represent the city
With 23 years on the job and 14 years as a member of the Fin- est, Officer Marco Acevedo isn’t limiting his view for what the Knights inaugural season means.
“Fostering a new team, it’s a long-term thing,” Acevedo ex- plained.
It’s a project he and fellow Finest alum Eric Bermudez are passionate about because of the opportunity to use baseball to represent the Department and bolster their chosen charity, the Brotherhood for the Fallen. Since forming in December, the Knights have put together a roster of 34 police officers and fire- fighters. The group also features members who played locally at Chicago State and the University of Illinois-Chicago. The team used baseball card-style graphics to announce several players on Facebook.
Acevedo said the squad can expect to be tested this season with competitive league play on tap, as well as traveling to big tournaments, such as the U.S. Police and Fire Championships in San Diego.
“You’ve got to go there and be disciplined. You’ve got to be serious,” explained Acevedo, who has won several medals at the championships in track and baseball in recent years.
The showcase game on the team’s schedule is July 12 at Im- pact Field in Rosemont when the Knights take on the Illinois State Police. Knights players promoted the team and the game during the Chicagoland Sports Spectacular in March at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, not far from the ball- park in Rosemont.
Being a first-year team hasn’t kept the Knights from building a foundation of community connections. Players held a clinic with the Little Village Little League Baseball Organization in February. The smiles weren’t hard to find as the kids and Knights worked on their game together. Knights players also held a clin-
ic with the Horner Park travel team.
“We’re role models,” Acevedo said, adding that the young-
sters even asked the Knights to sign autographs for them. “The kids really enjoyed it.”
Acevedo said a 10-week softball program is also planned for the summer as part of ongoing outreach efforts by the team.
“We’re getting bigger and bigger, we’re doing it the right way,” Acevedo added. “Our primary objective is to give back to the community.”
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