The family and friends of Bryan Cullinane of Rindge, who died last year of an accidental drug overdose, came together Saturday to honor his memory, and to raise funds to help a local nonprofit that provides addiction resources.
His friend and sometime softball teammate, Jared Lafreniere of Bennington, organized the tournament, the “Cullinane Classic,” which he said he intends to become an annual event. The funds from the event were split between an education fund for Cullinane’s son, and Reality Check of Jaffrey.
Lafreniere, who is in recovery for addiction himself, said as much as the tournament was about honoring Cullinane and his persistent love of sports, its also about raising awareness about the issue of addiction.
“I think that even in these small communities, there’s a lot of addiction and alcoholism that just doesn’t get talked about, Lafreniere said. “Families hide it, because of shame or the stigma, and we’ve seen a lot of young people not making it and dying. People have a hard time admitting they’re using drugs and alcohol. They try to manage and maintain and keep it hidden. I think if we can get the stigma out of the way, it becomes easier for people to get help.”
The all-day event included eight teams taking the field at the Christian Outreach church in Rindge. Cullinane’s son, Connor, threw the first pitch of the day to Cullinane’s father, Mike Cullinane. Team “Different Breed” carried the overall day.
The tournament raised a total of $3,700, with additional pledges for donations to Reality Check.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.