Loss on the field, victory in the stands for final 2021 Pistol Shrimp game

The Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp’s first season in Peru was arranged in a bit of a scramble. Manager June Keeley had from February to May to line up sponsors, team member host families, and promotions.

Keeley says she found more than enough host families for the college students to live with during the season. And she signed up a new sponsor for next year yesterday. The team developed regular fans.

Keeley doesn’t know if there’ll be an admission charge next year. Home games were free, in part to build the fan base and in part because Peru’s Veterans Park is an open field. Most fans who talked to WCMY News about it said they wouldn’t mind paying a few dollars. One woman said she would definitely not be able to attend many games. But another said she’ll show up anyway.

Check out the rest of the interview on SoundCloud: WCMY 1430