Dave Blackburn was honored this month, by the Maccabiah Games in Israel, where they retired his Number 7 from use by any other player, forever. He is shown in photo at right, accepting jerseys from other countries who competed at the 2013 Maccabiah Games. As Dave notes, Monday was the third anniversary of his near brush with death, following a horrific car crash enroute to a fastpitch tournament in Arizona. Against all odds, Dave survived, and remains actively involved with the game. In 2011, he was inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame, one of a number of honors bestowed on Dave since the accident. A pioneer in the creation of streaming audio and video broadcasts for the ISC (13 years running) and the game of fastpitch, he continues his work in the field of computers, and virtual reality, with projects underway with the NFL and NBA. If you log in tonight/this week to listen to the Sr. Canadians on Ballpark Radio, tip your cap to the man that started it all, Dave Blackburn.
We share the Facebook post below from Dave:
Monday is the 3 year anniversary of when I very nearly lost the most precious thing we all share, and that is our lives. August 26th 2010 mark the date when things forever changed for me. My recent trip to Israel gave me renewed energy to continue moving forward with my new life in a wheelchair, and keep finding ways to make things more enriching in my quest to staying active, keeping myself happy, and those around me happy. This pic is from my jersey retirement ceremony. Thanks everyone.