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Latham
Abigail and Chloe Batchler were greeted with hugs and tears Monday as they walked into Afrim's Sports Dome in Latham.
It was the first time that friends, teammates and the larger Rotterdam community had seen the 11-year-old twins since a car crash left them orphaned and injured on Jan. 22, and it was an emotional reunion. Their grandparents trailed behind, wiping tears and watching closely over the girls.
"They wanted to see their friends," said Brianna Galka, a close friend and teammate of the Batchler girls, who attend Schalmont Middle School in Rotterdam. "I think they still need to heal, though, and get better before they are able to come back for real."
More than 400 children and teenagers participated in an all-day soccer tournament at the dome Monday, with all proceeds from the $15 tickets benefiting the surviving members of the Batchler family. Local soccer clubs from Niskayuna, Burnt Hills and Ballston Spa were joined by clubs from communities as far as Oneonta, and many brought their friends and family to participate in raffles, face painting and prizes.
The Rotterdam United Soccer Club came up with the idea for the tournament, said president Nick Marano. The girls have played soccer with the club since they were 6 years old, and team members were eager to hold some kind of fundraiser, he said.
"The idea for a tournament just hit us," Marano said. "And then the phone rang and it was Afrim's Sports calling to say, what if we give you our dome? We didn't ask them. They just called us. So it took a big burden off of us."
Three of the four Batchler children were in their parents' SUV when a car crossed Interstate 88 in Princetown and smashed into them head-on. Their parents, 45-year-old Timothy and 44-year-old Stephanie of Rotterdam, were pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the other car — 28-year-old Stephen Cipriano, of Rotterdam — died early the next morning.
The twins, along with 19-year-old Jack, were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. The eldest child, Jonathan, was not in the car.
"They're in good spirits," Marano said. "Physically, they're still doing a lot of healing, so it's tough for them. They need some recovery time, and once they're done with their physical recovery, obviously they can start processing what actually happened. It will be a while."
All three children had broken bones from the crash. Abigail broke her jaw and had surgery for internal bleeding, friends said.
The girls are prolific athletes. They play soccer, football, wrestling and dance.
"They're the people who when they get knocked down, they get right back up," said Danielle Audette, the girls' former soccer coach. "They're the leaders on the field, guiding other girls and helping them figure out what to do. They'll come back eventually, but we want them to heal first."
Monday's fundraiser was expected to raise at least $5,000.
Local businesses and restaurants have also helped raise money in the weeks since the crash. DeLorey's Restaurant & Bar in Schenectady and the Niskayuna Soccer Club have hosted fundraisers. Proctors, Albany Broadcasting and The Comedy Works donated $2 for each ticket sold to their Valentine's Day comedy show.
Joe Whipple, head football coach at Schalmont High School, set up a GoFundMe page for the family, which had raised more than $85,375 as of Monday afternoon.
bbump@timesunion.com • 518-454-5387 • @bethanybump
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