Results tagged ‘ marlins ayudan ’
May The 4th Be With You… Pitch, Hit & Run
On Cuatro de Mayo, kids from City of Miami Parks and Recreation and Miami PAL were bussed out to Marlins Park for the 2nd Jr RBI Pitch, Hit & Run Competition. This baseball skills challenge measured who could drive the ball the furthest off a tee, throw the most strikes with 6 pitches, and blaze around the bases the quickest. This was a welcomed experience for the kids who had their games rained out from the nasty weather earlier in the week… but on this day, with the ballpark as the backdrop, it was picturesque. At the end of the day 12 kids from 4 different age groups advanced to the sectional round and we hope to see those Jr RBI shirts back at Marlins Park for the on field Regional Championships. The Jr RBI program is supported by Marlins Ayudan volunteers and sponsored by Marlins players Adeiny Hechavarria, Donovan Solano, and Nathan Eovaldi.
-Juancho
Opening Day – The Marlins Ayudan Way!
Happy Opening Week! Are you as excited as I am to be back to baseball? Or how about this one…Are you as excited as 441 elementary school students who got out of class to watch the Marlins play? That’s what happened on Monday as Marlins Ayudan celebrated Opening Day with Ben Sheppard Elementary School.
Marlins Dir. of Baseball Operations, Mike Wickham, decorating the “Marlins Corner” with students from Ben Sheppard Elementary
At Ben Sheppard Elementary, Opening Day had two meanings. Not only did the Miami Marlins open their season against the Nationals, but Ben Sheppard officially opened the “Marlins Corner” in their library! Thanks to a contribution from the Marlins Foundation, Ayudan teams “Sun Lifers” and “Restore Miami” were able to remake a corner of the library and fill it with brand new, baseball-related, hardcover books!
At the beginning of March students were sent home a letter stating if they earned perfect attendance for the month that they would be rewarded by the Miami Marlins. That did the trick – 441 students achieved perfect attendance in the month of March!
Billy the Marlin with students that were rewarded for perfect attendance
So on Monday afternoon, front office employees spent their time with 1st – 5th graders showing off the Marlins Corner, coloring Marlins M’s, handing out t-shirts and rulers, eating pizza, and watching the Marlins play . If you ask me, there’s no better way to kick off the 2013 baseball season!
How did you celebrate Opening Day?
Reading with Billy
One of the perks of the job here at the Miami Marlins is watching fans’, and especially children’s, faces light up week after week. When it comes to elementary-aged children, nothing gets them more excited than seeing our very own Billy The Marlin. Last month, a group of front office volunteers visited Ms. Harrison’s classroom at Pasadena Lakes Elementary School. We spent the afternoon reading with students while Billy The Marlin brought the stories to life! Making reading fun for our youth is a rewarding experience, and the sight of 20 small faces all lit up while Billy The Marlin animates a book is unforgettable. I’m sure it was unforgettable for the children too since Billy granted them No Homework!
If You Fix It, They Will Come
The morning started off rainy and dreary, but volunteers would not be deterred from helping restore a park and baseball field that has been bringing families together for as long as baseball has been a part of this community. Eventually the sun shined through the clouds and allowed us to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by serving others his birthday. I felt a great deal of pride being a part of the event at West Perrine Park with my colleagues at the Marlins and our partners at Miami Dade County Parks & Recreation.
We hope that this renovated ball field will encourage both the youth and role models of this community to once again come out and not only play, but flourish in a sport that at one point was all the buzz at this park. Just ask any of the old school Hellcat players who love sharing stories of when the stands would fill up on Sundays with families coming out to watch baseball after church as part of their family traditions. Now it’s time for new traditions to be formed. In 2013 we, as your home team, want to help bring baseball back to the inner city and return the sounds of baseball echoing throughout West Perrine Park.
-Juancho
Spreading Holiday Cheer
Partnering with the Neighbors4Neighbors Adopt-A-Family program, I was given the opportunity do my best Santa impersonation and deliver gifts to 12 families over the course of two days. This was all made possible through the generosity of the Marlins front office and staff (“Marlins Ayudan”), 33 in total. The gifts were donated by everyone from team President David Samson all the way down to a member of our intern class, a contributing blogger, Selena. In addition to the individual contributions, Marlins Ayudan team “Restore Miami” came through by purchasing bunk beds, a laptop and more.
For one young man, the gift of an electronic drum set brought his mother to tears, while she let us know how badly she had wanted to buy a drum set for her autistic son, whose only real outlet seems to be music. In the case of another family who had been sharing one bed and a futon among six people, we were able to provide a bunk bed for the kids to sleep in on the night before Christmas. There was also the teenage mother who is living at home with her younger siblings who was gifted a new stroller and months’ worth of diapers.
I could go on for hours recounting the stories and reactions of these families who were overcome with emotion because of the holiday spirit demonstrated by those who realize the power of giving and the true meaning of the season.
It truly is better to give than to receive… Remember that, and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season.
-Juancho
Adrian Mora
David Allende
Joanne Messing
Juancho
Angela Smith
sgaywood
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