TOWNSEND With snow and ice in the forecast for this weekend and spring training still weeks away, baseball fever has yet to grip the Nashoba Valley. Fortunately, local kids can get a head start on the pros with some winter training starting this month.

Its all thanks to Jessica Fellows. The 42-year-old local resident is not only a coach of many of the teams with Townsend Ashby Youth Baseball and Softball League, but also a member of the organizations board.

Her tireless efforts have not only expanded the organization and its programs, including the aforementioned winter training sessions running from January through March, but have also inspired kids to be more outgoing through sports.

If that werent enough, Fellows also serves her community as a part-time EMT in the Townsend Fire Department.

And thats all before you get to her full-time job as a 911 dispatcher for Nashoba Valley Regional Dispatch, where shes been since 2016.

That stacked resume of community service and life-saving action is what made Fellows the Massachusetts winner of Norwegian Cruise Lines Encore Moments campaign.

For her efforts in Townsend, Fellows enjoyed a weekend in New York City for an award ceremony aboard the companys distinguished Norwegian Bliss ship. She also won a three-to-five day cruise, which she said she will likely be in October.

We are excited to honor these inspiring individuals from around the U.S. and Canada, Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a press release. Their kindness, dedication and passion to help others is truly moving. From first responders, to those helping family members in need, to those who go out of their way to lift others up, we are happy to acknowledge these heroes through our Encore Moments campaign.

Fellows was nominated by Townsend resident Tracy Boyd, whose son played with Fellowss son and was frequently coached by Fellows.

Boyd credited Fellowss training and kindness for helping her son break from his shy nature.

When I think of Townsend and the surrounding communities, I think of Jessica as a town hero, Boyd said. She doesnt just care about the wins in games, she cares about the little wins that the kids have. Shes always helping out.

Fellows said that she first moved to Townsend from Londonderry, N.H. in 2010, a fair distance from her birthplace of Virginia. She moved to town with her husband Eric, son Pierce and daughter Morgan for the family environment.

It was a perfect middle spot to raise our kids, Fellows explained. Politics can be a little confusing at times when you see the Town Hall issues, but this is an amazing community to raise your kids.

Fellows said shes been an EMT since 1999, previously working for Trinity EMS for 13 years.

Private EMS can beat your body up, she said. I worked 24-hour shifts working in the city of Lowell and with the amount of work you do, its really hard on your body. At age 30, I felt like I was 60 or 70 years old. Even though you love working on the ambulance and its still where your heart is because you love helping others, its quite messed up with the crazy things you see.

Once she moved to Townsend, Fellows got involved getting her kids to join local tee-ball teams. She said that since it was hard for the other parents to find local volunteers to help the kids, she stepped to up to the plate. For her, the highlight of the work is simply being there for the kids.

Once you have kids and start coaching them, no matter who I coach they became one of my kids, and thats how I treat my teams, she said. I love getting anyone out on the field. Ive got kids that Ive coached that would never have played baseball or softball. They build their teamwork, the smiles and camaraderie. The things that theyre gonna build while being part of a team are so much more valuable than just, Hey maybe the kid will get a scholarship for college. Were building great kids and a great atmosphere.

Although she said her kids are aging out of the local youth teams and she continues working crazy hours as a dispatcher, Fellows said shell likely never stop coaching for the league. Her efforts have helped the league not only start the winter training sessions, usually held in the gymnasiums of the Spaulding Memorial School and the Hawthorne Brook Middle School, but also start a seniors league for kids age 12 to 16.

All of that work, and Fellows still thinks her recent recognition is worthy of someone else.

There are more people I can imagine that would be just as worthy of this award as I was, she said. Weve got a great community support system for people.

Excerpt from:

Townsend residents community involvement earns her an all-expense paid trip on the high seas - Lowell Sun