Salem firefighter to play in 12th charity baseball game

SALEM, N.H. — Salem firefighter Colton Houle has kept a streak alive for more than a decade which he doesn’t see stopping any time soon.

The 10-year veteran of Salem Fire Department will swap his firefighting helmet for a baseball one as he gears up to raise funds and play shortstop in this year’s Special Olympics Heroes Cup.
Houle is the longest-playing firefighter in these charity games. This will be his 12th appearance in a New Hampshire charity baseball game since his first in 2013.
Houle will represent “Team Bravest” along with other firefighters in a friendly competition against police officers on “Team Finest” in the annual game between New Hampshire first responders. Money raised benefiting Special Olympics of New Hampshire initiatives.
The game is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Aug. 3, at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester.
The Children Hospital at Dartmouth ran the New Hampshire baseball game for several years before the Special Olympics took over in 2023.
No matter the cause, Houle said it’s a privilege to be a part of the games and to have done it for so long. It’s a commitment with practices, scrimmages and community events woven in. But it’s something he’s enjoyed with a community-centered mindset.

He was recognized by the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem in 2022 as Firefighter of the Year for giving back to the community and a decades’ worth of fundraising for the children’s hospital in the games.

The Eagle Tribune
By Angelina Berube | aberube@eagletribune.com 6/30/2024