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Crime & Safety

SYAG Hosts 10th Annual Ed Rall Memorial Tourney

Largest single-weekend tournament in the region is held in memory of FDNY fire fighter killed on 9/11.

Over 100 baseball teams gathered for the 10th Annual Memorial Tournament held by the Sachem Youth Advisory Group at Smith Field on Friday. It continues to be the largest single-weekend tournament in the region.

The tournament was started in memory of New York City Fire Fighter and longtime SYAG coach Edward Rall. He was an 18-year veteran of the FDNY as a member of Rescue 2 in Brooklyn. The local hero made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life on September 11, 2001.

Rall was a devoted husband to wife Darlene Rall, 52, of Holbrook, and loving father to their sons Joseph, 26, Matthew, 24, and Daniel, 22, all of whom were on hand at the tournament along with Rall's parents, Ed and Joan, and his brother Bill. 

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Every year a member of the Rall family throws out the ceremonial first pitch. This year Matthew did the honors.

As a dedicated SYAG coach, Rall spent years working toward the betterment of the league and its players. This tournament is held each year in his honor, as well as in memory of all who lost their lives on 9/11.

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"Life goes on. It's hard. The tenth year brings it all back a little more.  The anniversaries are all hard," said Darlene.

After her husband was killed, she devoted her life to taking care of her family. Now that her sons are grown, she enjoys traveling and playing golf. The close-knit family goes on a cruise to the Caribbean every other year. Darlene also accompanies other wives of firefighters, some widows like herself, to Florida for an annual girls' therapeutic retreat.  She is also in a long-distance relationship with an old family friend that she reconnected with who lives in Canada.

Darlene said, "Between my kids, my family, the fire department and baseball, thank goodness for that. It really helped over the years."

The league also assists a graduating senior from both Sachem High Schools North and East with a scholarship based on academic achievement and extracurricular activities, from the funds generated from the net proceeds of the event.

Ray Smith, a firefighter from Rescue 2, who worked with Rall, raised the flag for the color guard alongside fire department bagpiper Chris Brennan, and the Rall family. Sachem North senior, Dani Mannino, 17, sang the national anthem.

The Ralls presented SYAG President Harvey Sandurs and the organization with a plaque "in grateful appreciation" for the tournament and honoring Ed's memory.

"From the bottom of our hearts, we'd like to thank everyone," said Joseph Rall. "This tournament means a lot to us.  I can't believe it's the tenth year."

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