(August 5, 2020) — With heavy hearts, the York Revolution announced today the passing of team dog emeritus Boomer, whose retirement the team celebrated at the end of last season.

Boomer, who came to the Revolution through the assistance of the SPCA of York County, served as team dog and the Revolution’s furry ambassador for 10 years before taking his final bow at PeoplesBank Park on September 22, 2019.

Revolution General Manager John Gibson, who first found and housed Boomer, said, “You can’t put into words what Boomer meant to all us at the Revolution and the fans he made smile each time he visited. He was one of a kind, and we were lucky to have him.”

Gibson also expressed the team’s sincerest appreciation to Jeff and Cindy Hoke, who generously opened their home and hearts to Boomer to give him a real home beyond the ballpark for most of his life.

“Our thoughts are with Jeff and Cindy right now and all of those Boomer touched over the years,” Gibson said. “And that’s a lot of people.”

In addition to his many appearances at the ballpark, Boomer spent the 10 seasons traversing the York County community. As the namesake of Boomer’s Book Club, he visited thousands of area students to encourage them to improve their reading skills by offering Revolution tickets and other great prizes from team sponsors. Boomer also earned his certification as a therapy dog while serving as the Revs’ team dog. In one of his last acts on the team’s behalf, he also helped find his young successor, Blue.

In lieu of gifts or flowers, the Revs and the Hokes encourage people to make donations in Boomer’s name to the SPCA of York County through its website, www.ycspca.org/support-ycspca.