Competitive girls’ softball returns to Fort Erie after 25 years
October 18, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Three new Fort Erie Firecrackers softball teams will give local girls their first chance in more than 25 years to play competitive fastpitch without leaving town.
The Firecrackers, a Greater Fort Erie Minor Ball program, will sell frozen cookie dough online from October 18 until November 23 to pay for the teams’ first season of Ontario tournaments in 2027.
Michele Maracle, director of softball for Greater Fort Erie Minor Ball, told Fort Erie Radio the cookie dough sales will pay tournament and registration fees that would otherwise come out of parents’ pockets.
“I have a biased opinion, but I don’t think there’s any place better to be than on the ball diamond in the summer,” Maracle said. “Sunshine, dirt, friends, laughter, community, family–I’m really glad that I get to be the one to bring this back to Fort Erie.”
The fundraiser will also cover uniforms, equipment and team bags, along with indoor winter sessions led by pitching and batting instructors.
The Firecrackers will receive 40 per cent of every $16 box of cookie dough sold.
“This way our girls don’t have the burden of the high expenses we’ve run into, and they can get out there and play,” Maracle said.
Maracle formed the Firecrackers’ under-11, under-13 and under-15 teams this year after girls in the minor ball house league showed interest in more competitive play.
The Firecrackers’ under-15 team made its tournament debut on Saturday at the Cascades Softball for the Cure in Niagara Falls, N.Y., which donates part of its proceeds to the American Cancer Society.
“Girls have gone to other centres, but we’re trying to bring it back to Fort Erie to create opportunities here for girls to play and get back to the level of softball Fort Erie once played at,” said Maracle.
A Fort Erie team won the Canadian senior women’s fastpitch championship in 1966, according to Softball Canada.
Buyers will pick up their cookie dough on December 7 between 5 and 8 p.m. at the Fort Erie Ball Shack, the home of Greater Fort Erie Minor Ball at 373 Central Avenue. Orders not collected by 8 p.m. that day will be forfeited, according to the fundraiser page.
Residents can order cookie dough on the Firecrackers’ fundraising page.
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Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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