Rolando Little League Kicks Off Season With Opening Day [PHOTOS]

The Saturday morning sun shone brightly on the fields of the Rolando Little League, as it kicked off its 2013 season with Opening Ceremonies.

More than a hundred kids played in the dirt, chased one another, and posed for pictures with friends and family, while proudly displaying their uniforms and banners.

Mayor Art Madrid gave a short speech, encouraging the youngsters to play their very best, adding that he hoped La Mesa's next crop of "Major Leaguers" was in attendance.

For the second year in a row, some families got some assistance getting baseball equipment, thanks to the Rolando Little League Rescue and Recycle equipment donation program.

Co-founded last year by two parents of Little Leaguers, AnnaLisa Hansing and Valerie Stiles, the program encourages parents not to give away their old baseball equipment or clothing, but to hold onto it and see if another family or player might be able to use it.

The program featured a table full of used, donated cleats and clothing that other players had grown out of. They also were giving away donated batting gloves, wristbands, undershirts, bats, even donated mitts.

Hansing said the most unique item that was donated was a pitching machine. Hansing said she and Stiles started the program based on necessity.

"I had to get equipment [for her son] last year and I couldn't find it anywhere," she said.

Some of the teams kicked off play on Saturday, while others will play their first games later this week.