Chad Knight has a sparkling resume.
Last week the Staples High School senior captained his baseball team to their 2nd state championship in 3 years. In 2013 Chad starred on the Westport squad that reached the finals of the Little League World Series.
He’s been drafted by the New York Yankees — but he’s heading first to Duke University. He’s also an excellent piano player.
Yet one of his many other recent honors — Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year — led to an especially fine moment.
As part of Gatorade’s Play It Forward Fund, Chad was given $1,000 to pass on to any national or local youth sports organization of his choice.
He chose Westport Little League’s Challenger Division. That’s the very successful program for boys and girls with disabilities.
Chad Knight (rear, center, white shirt) and Challenger commissioner Beth Cody (front, blue shirt) join Challenger players, buddies, and Staples baseball players today.
Chad’s generosity came from the heart. Throughout the years he has served as a “buddy” to the players. He always found time to help out. He loved the youngsters, and they adored him.
In appreciation of Chad’s gift, commissioner Beth Cody announced that Gatorade is the official drink of the Westport Winners challenger team. Today at Meyer Field, she presented Chad with a bottle with his name, number and the Westport Winners name.
Starting this fall, every Challenger player will get one too.
It was a quick, fun ceremony, before Westport took on Norwalk in their final game of the season.
Then Chad headed off to his next celebration: his own graduation party.
In 2014, Chad Knight (right) was a Challenger buddy with Dylan Curran. Dylan is now manager of the state champion Staples baseball team, and still plays with the Westport Winners.