Former resident to film Christy Mathewson Day

Former Factoryville resident Danielle Wells is planning to film this year’s Christy Mathewson Day and turn it into a documentary.

“I have always been a part of Christy Mathewson Day activities, ever since I can remember,” said Wells, who added that her family has always been involved and that she has marched in the parade several times, including time with a softball team and a cheerleading squad.

The celebrations, which will be held this year on August 7 and 8, started years ago with a parade in Mathewson’s honor, and then two years Factoryville Women’s Club began a race before the parade, dubbed a 6K, to honor Mathewson’s nickname “Big Six.”

According to The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Web site, Christopher “Christy” Mathewson was born in Factoryville in 1880. He pitched for the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Reds, from 1900 to 1916. He was inducted into The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, in 1936.

Wells said she didn’t see the need for the documentary until bringing Kevin Malone, her then-boyfriend and now fianc�, home for Christy Mathewson Day weekend in 2006. “He was kind of mesmerized by the whole thing, and it made me realize what a unique experience it really was,” said Wells.

According to Wells, the idea for the documentary was Malone’s. “It was the two of us, working on the idea and deciding what we thought we should focus on, and it took us two and a half years or so to realize that we could actually pull it off, and make a worthwhile film.

“I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we were living in Philadelphia, and you don’t see a lot of the community involvement and the Americana that you see in Factoryville,” added Wells. “It’s a great way to remind myself where I came from, and a great way for Kevin to see what he got himself into by being with me.”

Wells’ plan for the documentary is to cover all the “major” parts of Christy Mathewson Day over the course of four or five days.

“We plan on filming and talking with a group of people who are preparing their float for the parade and key Keystone College members who will be getting ready for the race breakfast. We plan to be at PNC field for the game on Friday night. We will be at the race early Saturday morning. We will be filming in the parade and along the sidelines and we will be at the baseball field behind the Elementary Center all afternoon to capture anything that goes on,” Wells said.

“Additionally, we plan on talking to important community leaders, members of both the Women’s and Men’s Civic Leagues, the Christy Mathewson Day Planning Committee and anyone who we feel played a pivotal role in the creation of the day’s celebration in the weeks following,” she said.

According to Wells, they are planning to have a crew of around six to 12 people to help film it. So far, the crew tentatively consists of Temple University and Lackawanna Trail students.

“A lot of it is going to come down to volunteers and donations,” said Wells. “I would love it if we could pay for it ourselves and give it to Factoryville as a gift, but we just can’t afford to do that.

“We really feel like this documentary could be amazing, so we hope to get it as public as possible,” she said.

Wells said that her immediate plan is to have a screening with the finished product for the community and try to show it to a national audience after that.

“I think that Christy Mathewson gives Factoryville more than just a celebrity identity, it gives them a chance to celebrate something great that not a lot of other towns have,” said Wells. Wells added that Christy Mathewson Day is “a great opportunity for people to come out and talk to each other and collectively remember someone. It may seem clich�, but I think that in this time of global uncertainty, it’s this kind of small town America story that will really draw a lot of attention to Factoryville and our film.”