Saturday, March 5 will certainly go down as one of the most memorable days in the 60-year history of Clairemont Hilltoppers Little League.

We began bright and early with the first T-Ball games of the year, with more than sixty 4- and 5-year-olds showing off their skills for the first time. Then, it was time for our Opening Ceremony, and what a splash we made this year!

We began with a parade of all our teams, with this year's players greeted by alumni from throughout the six decades of Clairemont Hilltoppers. Soon it was time to look to the skies, as two skydivers carrying a huge American flag came streaming down to the strains of Ray Charles' America the Beautiful. We were honored to have Councilmembers Lorie Zapf and Chris Cate on hand to declare it Clairemont Hilltoppers Day in San Diego.

Members of the Padres "Pad Squad," our District Administrator Lisa LaPage, Cadman Elementary Principal Elizabeth Ballard, and staff and directors from Park & Rec also added to the special occasion. Dave Scott and the KUSI-TV morning news were there from 8-11 a.m. to capture all of the excitement, and they were joined during the ceremony by KUSI lead sports anchor Paul Rudy, who came in by helicopter with the ball for our first pitch. That pitch was thrown by our very special guest, the San Diego Famous Chicken, whose energy and personality entertained us, just like he has for millions of sports fans during the past 40 years.

After ceremonies, we enjoyed a lunch of Mike's BBQ, and watched ballgames for the rest of the afternoon, basking in beautiful weather and the knowledge that the well over 300 kids of our league had a day they will remember for a loooong time!

To see some truly memorable images of Opening Day, visit the website of ace photographer Michele Friszell at: http://www.michelefriszellphotography.com/Events/Clairemont-Hilltoppers-60th/