Williamsport to welcome President Bush, Rachel Robinson to celebrate the unveiling of The Final Bases Loaded Statue
WILLIAMSPORT, PA – In celebration of the 75th Little League Baseball World Series, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce has dedicated its final installation of the Bases Loaded statue project to some of the most notable visitors to come to Williamsport for the event – Cy Young, Jackie Robinson, and President George W. Bush.
This new statue will be unveiled at a special ceremony at 5 p.m. on Sunday, in Market Square, downtown Williamsport, with President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush, Rachel Robinson (the widow of Jackie Robinson), Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, scheduled to join in the festivities as Williamsport celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the Little League Baseball World Series.
“Little League is beyond proud to call Williamsport our home, and the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce’s recognition of our organization through their Bases Loaded statue project has become a wonderful addition to our greater community,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “Over the years, we have been fortunate to welcome some very special guests to our World Series, and we are thrilled to be able to have President Bush, Rachel Robinson, and our friends from Major League Baseball join us, as we celebrate the 75th Little League Baseball World Series and the unveiling of this final statue.”
Established in 2014, in conjunction of the 75th Anniversary of the first Little League game played on June 6, 1939, the Bases Loaded project is a series of sculptures that commemorates the history of Little League – the centerpiece of which is 12 individual statues located in Market Square, each depicting different eras in Little League’s history and embracing the diversity and timelessness of a sport played around the world. The new statue, featuring the likenesses of Mr. Young, Mr. Robinson, and President Bush, will be featured behind the backstop as part of the home plate display.
“Little League is such a special part of the heritage of Lycoming County, and Williamsport is proud to welcome the world every August for the Little League Baseball World Series,” said Jason Fink, Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “The Bases Loaded Statue Project, supported by the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau, is such a special installation throughout our community, and we are excited to officially unveil the final installation with our very special guests.”
The statue unveiling is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. Sunday and is open to the general public. Please note that there will be road closures in the vicinity to accommodate for the ceremony. The streets leading into Market Square (the intersection of Market St. and West Third Street) will be closed starting at 12 p.m. (noon) with detours in place through the evening.
