About 30 people gathered April 30 at the athletic fields at the Ansonia Nature Center for a poignant ceremony honoring the memory of Leah Rondon, a 6‑year-old girl killed in a traffic accident last year.
Leah Rondon died last summer after a tragic accident in which she was struck by a vehicle on Ford Street.
The ceremony was led by T.J. Piscitelli, one of the founders of Mudcats Baseball, a group started in Seymour in 2008 to help kids in the area hone their baseball skills.
Leah’s parents, Colleen and Henry, are president and vice president of the Ansonia Little League.
“Basically we’ve become a family,” Piscitelli said. “We’re here because one of our family members had a devastating loss.”
Click the play button below to see the ceremony.
During the ceremony Piscitelli recalled how Leah would be a fixture at baseball games and practices.
“I’ll never forget those goldilocks,” Piscitelli said. “She was always there. She was dedicated to her brother and her dad.”
Piscitelli unveiled a bench which has the words “In Loving Memory, Leah Marie Rondon.”
“This is really to memorialize Leah, but it’s also to recognize Henry and Colleen, who really didn’t miss a beat,” Piscitelli said.
The Rondons said that’s because of the caring community that surrounded them in the days and months following the loss of their daughter.
“People say to me all the time ‘You’re a rock. You’re so strong.’ I’ll be honest with you, we could not be as strong as we are without all of you,” Colleen Rondon said. “You surrounded us with your love and support … we could not have gotten through all of this alone.”
Leah was also remembered last month during the opening day ceremonies of the city’s Little League.
Click here for the Mudcats Baseball Facebook page.
