Helicopter drops golf balls at Navs game as part of fundraiser

LYNN – The helicopter that hovered over Fraser Field early Sunday afternoon was for a happy purpose. It was the fruition of the Lynn Shore Little League-Lynn Babe Ruth golf ball drop fundraiser at the North Shore Navigators game.The two leagues came upon the fundraising event two months ago in an effort to raise money and to have a little fun. It worked.A decent crowd was on hand for the Sunday afternoon game with the Worcester Bravehearts. And the festivities didn?t just include fun with golf balls. Lynn?s College World Series hero — Ben Bowden, who at this time last year was wrapping up a career that saw him named the state?s Gatorade Player of the Year — threw out the game?s first pitch as well. Bowden was a member of the Vanderbilt team that won the whole thing, and made a brief, but successful, appearance in the second of the three-game series with Virginia.The golf ball drop began around 1:30 p.m. with a helicopter flying over Fraser Field and dropping down to pick up a bag with 1,500 golf balls inside. Each one was represented by a ticket worth $20 and that included entry for four customers to Sunday?s Navigators game.The helicopter than flew back up and around the field a few times, dropping the golf balls down onto the field near a “pin” in center field.At stake was the chance to win some money. The golf ball that landed closest to the pin gave its owner (via the ticket) $3,000, with the one second-closest to the pin worth $2,000. The two balls farthest from the pin were worth $500 each.The winner was Swampscott?s Jeff January, with Lynn Shore Little League coach Chris Tringale finishing second.The two $500 winners were Joe Scanlon and Miguel Valera.