Bring the family to Ed Gallo Tournament in Whitefish
The 28th Annual Ed Gallo Memorial Wood Bat Baseball Tournament will run Thursday through Sunday. This tournament, hosted by the Glacier Twins and American Legion Roosevelt Post 108 of Whitefish, began in 1990. It is dedicated to Ed Gallo, a longtime supporter of the Glacier Twins Baseball program.
When the program, then known only as Whitefish Legion Baseball, was struggling to survive in the early 1960s, Gallo donated time and money to keep the Twins afloat. He solicited volunteers to help with field maintenance and repairs, and spearheaded fundraising efforts to purchase uniforms and equipment.
Gallo also recruited Columbia Falls players and renamed the team the Glacier Twins in 1965.
Gallo was born and raised in Whitefish. As a teenager, he served overseas with the U.S. Army in Italy and Germany during World War II. After his military service, he attended college in Havre and began work with the Great Northern Railroad in 1948. He died in 1973 at the age of 47, leaving behind his wife Joyce, now 87 years old, and his two sons Paul and Roger.
Paul Gallo has served on the Glacier Twins Board of Directors and been the board treasurer for several years. He assists in the selection and funding of the Ed Gallo Memorial Scholarship, which is presented during the memorial tournament to a deserving Glacier Twins player.
This year’s tournament field consists of 10 teams divided into two pools. In Pool A are the Glacier Twins A, the Havre NorthStars, the VW of Olympia/Capital, Washington, the Scobey Blues, and the Calgary Redbirds.
In Pool B are the Glacier Twins B, the Kalispell Lakers B, the Glacier League All Stars, the Lethbridge Lakers, and the Mission Valley Mariners B.
Each team will play teams in its own pool once for a total of four games. The top two finishing teams in each pool will play on Sunday to determine the tournament champion.
Games will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and the last game each day will start at 8:30 p.m. All games are seven innings with a two-hour time limit.
Full food and drink concessions will be available starting at 8 a.m. Beer and wine will be sold during the afternoon and evening games. Souvenirs will be sold at the Glacier Twins Merchandise Store, and a silent auction will be held Friday, June 23 from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Single game admission prices are $5 for each adult and $4 for a senior or student. Children aged 12 and under are admitted for free. Tournament passes good for all of the games are available.