THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, AUGUST 9, 2024 Page 11 Former Saugus Little League World Series hero Dario Pizzano to host MS charity event next month at Fenway Park With the Minnesota Twins in town, MS4MS will take center stage at the Sept. 21 red Sox game By Joe McConnell D ario Pizzano is coming home, sort of. The 2003 Saugus American Little League Williamsport all-star, who, along with his teammates, came into national prominence when they marched together as one all the way to the United States Championship Game at Lamade Stadium against East Boynton Beach, Fla. As it turned out, they were the last Massachusetts team to do so, now going on 21 years. Since those Little League glory days, Pizzano went on to attend Malden Catholic and Division 1 Columbia University, which led to him being picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 2012 MLB Draft. He spent the next 10 years as a player in the Mariners and New York Mets organizations, before retiring last year. Also in 2023, he was inducted into the Columbia University Athletic Hall of Fame. The Saugus native is currently working for JP Morgan in Manhattan, and is living in Hoboken, N.J. But baseball remains in his blood. While in the minor leagues, he helped established the MS4MS (Mission Stadiums for Multiple Sclerosis) charity, a cause that’s close to his heart, because his mom, Tracie, has been living with MS since 1998. It now brings him back to the Boston area next month for the second annual #spreadingORANGE MS4MS charity event of which Dario is its director. It will be held at Fenway Park on Saturday, Sept. 21 in conjunction with the Red Sox game that day against the Minnesota Twins. “Two of my college teammates – Mark Heil and Harrison Slutsky – work in the Red Sox front office, so they made the intros and connections to the right people to get this thing going,” said Pizzano. “We have a live link (https://ms4ms.org/ spreadingorange-day-at-fenway-park-2024/) to buy tickets for the section next to the Sam Adams lounge, and are hoping to get 300-plus attendees to go there this year. “We raise the most money through corporate sponsorships,” added Pizzano, “and at this year’s event we are also partnering with another charity – Morgan’s Message. Morgan’s Message is an organization that helps advocate and raise funds for those struggling to adjust to normal life after their athletic careers are over.” Dario mentioned that Pete Maki, the Twins pitching coach, is also helping out with the on-field batting practice passes for sponsors and those who are battling MS, before the Sept. 21 game. Maki was the Columbia pitching coach, when Pizzano was a Lion. Danielle Stein, another MS Warrior ambassador, who is in sports broadcasting after serving an internship with the Red Sox, is working on getting the organizers to appear on the NESN broadcast during the game to further promote the charity. For the game, the Red Sox are providing custom-made caps, with an orange “B” Red Sox logo and the charity’s emblem embroidered on the back of it. Pizzano hopes this year’s Fenway charity event raises between $40,000 to $50,000 for MS. For more information on the charity, go to the MS4MS website at https://ms4ms.org. The second annual #spreadingORANGE MS4MS charity event will be held at Fenway Park on Saturday, Sept. 21 in conjunction with the Red Sox game that day against the Minnesota Twins. Former Saugus American Little League 2003 World Series hero Dario Pizzano, the charity’s director, right, is with his mom, Tracie, and Sam Greenberg, the MS4MS CEO, at last year’s Fenway event. MS4MS (Mission Stadiums for Multiple Sclerosis) is a charity that Dario got behind when he was a player in the Seattle Mariners organization, because of his mom, who has been living with MS since 1998. (Courtesy photo) State health officials confirm West Nile virus in Saugus mosquito sample (Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by Mike Gaffney, Media Website Content Manager for the Town of Saugus.) T he Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced late on Thursday, Aug. 1 that West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in a mosquito sample collected from Saugus. The positive sample was collected from a bird-biting species of mosquito in a mosquito pool in the southeastern quadrant of Saugus. WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection. By taking a few, common sense precautions, people can help to protect themselves and their loved ones: Avoid Mosquito Bites – Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-methane 3, 8-diol [PMD]) according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under 2 months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin. – Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin. – Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours – the hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant. Mosquito-Proof Your Home – Drain Standing Water – many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change water in birdbaths frequently. – Install or Repair Screens – some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all your windows and doors. The Saugus Board of Health will continue to work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health through the remainder of peak arbovirus season. In addition, the Town of Saugus has partnered with the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control program in efforts to cull the acute populations of Culex Pipiens, a bird-biting mosquito, on a weekly basis in the Saugus area. Between Sunday, Aug. 4 and Wednesday, Aug. 7 at noon, residents can call 978352-2800 to request Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control ULV spraying treatments be made on their properties on Thursday, Aug. 8. Please visit the Saugus Board of Health website at www.saugus-ma.gov/ board-health for additional information, including updated vector-borne disease risk maps and FAQs. More information regarding arbovirus activity and mosquito-borne disease prevention is also available at www. mass.gov/dph/mosquito.
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