Thursday, May 26, 2016

Capitol Heights Volunteer Fire Department Holds Cancer Fundraiser


A mental health technician at Temple University Hospital, Todd Belok is also dedicated to offering emergency medical assistance. Todd Belok has been an EMT since 2008, and he uses his skills to give back to the community as a volunteer EMT for the Capitol Heights Volunteer Fire Department (CHVFD).

For over 100 years, the CHVFD has utilized volunteer firefighters to protect the citizens of Capitol Heights, Maryland. The department also does community service and fundraising for other worthy organizations. Over the Christmas 2015 season, the CHVFD held a fundraiser to support the Firefighter Cancer Support Network and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in their fights against cancer.

The fundraiser centered around the Tree of Courage, a Christmas tree memorializing loved ones who have lost the battle with cancer. The tree was named after the CHVFD’s fire engine Courage, which is painted pink to raise awareness of breast cancer. For each ornament placed on the tree, a $5 donation was made to the cancer-fighting groups, for a total of $500.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Pitching Rules for Kickball



Todd Belok joined the Temple University Hospital Episcopal Campus in Philadelphia as a mental health technician in 2015. Apart from overseeing patient activities at the hospital, Todd Belok leads a physically active lifestyle. He enjoys cycling and is part of a local kickball league.

The sport of kickball resembles American baseball in a number of ways, both in regards to the dimensions of the playing field and the basic rules of the game. However, one of the most significant differences between kickball and baseball involves how pitches are delivered. In kickball, players must roll the ball underhand while pitching. While there are few restrictions on style and delivery beyond this stipulation, pitches must bounce at least twice before reaching the kicker.

As is the case in baseball, a referee determines whether a kickball pitch is a ball or strike. The strike zone is described as one foot on either side of home plate and no more than 12 inches from the ground. Any ball that is bouncing as it crosses home plate must return to the ground within one foot of the plate. If a kicker attempts to kick a ball that does not enter the strike zone and misses, the pitch is considered a strike. If the kicker attempts to make a play on a pitch that has not bounced twice or entered the strike zone, it can still be called a strike.

Three strikes results in an out for the kicker, while a kicker who draws four balls is rewarded with a walk. Any ball that fails to reach the strike zone or bounces fewer than two times before crossing the plate is ruled as a ball. Unlike baseball, a foul ball is never considered a strike. Should the kicker ever intentionally contact a live pitch with his or her hand, the kicker is automatically ruled out.