Children sprint to the outfield to find their treasure at Ridgefield Raptors game

Emma Franks and Rally the Raptor stood before a bunch of screaming children, trying to give them last-minute instructions.

It was loud. It was chaotic. It was kind of like herding cats.

Emma and Rally must have executed their plan flawlessly, though, because soon after the third out of the bottom of the fifth inning at Thursday’s Ridgefield Raptors baseball game, those children followed instructions.

Then they got paid.

Thursday was the annual Dash for Cash night for children who attended the Raptors game at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex. 

The Raptors, like most summer league baseball operations, enjoy their quirky promotions. The Dash for Cash is always popular.

Courtesy of iQ Credit Union, $1,000 was scattered throughout the outfield. Then the younger children were released to chase those bills. 

A few minutes later, another $1,000 was released, and older children got their chance at dozens of dollars, or more.

“It was a big task, but we got it done,” said Franks, on-field host for the Raptors.

Clark County Today was there to capture some video of the dash.

After the dash, the Raptors finished off the Bend Elks in a 5-0 victory. The Raptors have won two in a row and are inching closer to the .500 mark at 9-11 in the West Coast League. The Raptors host the Portland Pickles for three games this weekend at the RORC.

Oh, and while Thursday’s promotion was targeted to youngsters, Friday’s promotion is for the 21-and-older crowd. The Raptors will be celebrating Southwest Washington winemakers with Local Wine Night.

The Raptors and Portland play at 6:35 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available at: https://ridgefieldraptors.com/