Ontario Tower Buzzers honor the late Big Bear bald eagle with ‘Fly High, Jackie’ night

A swarm of bees paid tribute to a bald eagle on a sweltering Sunday evening.

The single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Ontario Tower Buzzers, partnered Sunday, Aug. 23, with the environmental nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley to commemorate the Big Bear bald eagle, Jackie, who rose to stardom via livestream.

The “Fly High, Jackie” event took place during the Buzzers’ match against the Inland Empire 66ers at ONT Field.

Fifty percent of ticket proceeds from a donation link were donated to the Friends nonprofit, which operates the continuous livestream cameras. The Buzzers said the event raised $10,252 and that more would be raised from presales of “Fly High, Jackie!” shirts through the donation link.

Clips of Jackie were shown during the pregame, and some fans also walked away with “Fly High, Jackie” t-shirts provided by the clubhouse.

In mid-July, Jackie was found grounded for hours after fighting two younger eagles.

A Ventura County wildlife rehab facility, Ojai Raptor Center, provided medical care to Jackie for almost a month until her passing. The Ojai center said that Jackie had been suffering from ailments including large blood clots in both wings and a kidney. There is still no word on the cause of death.

Ontario Tower Buzzers General Manager Allan Benavides said it was an honor to help celebrate Jackie’s life.

“As stewards of the Inland Empire community, we wanted to provide those who were touched by Jackie and Shadow’s story with a place to celebrate Jackie’s life at our game,” Benavides said.