Heart Stove Event Energizes Fans, Benefits Worcester Boys & Girls Club
January 16, 2015 - Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL)
Worcester Bravehearts News Release
Worcester, MA: It's not uncommon to see hundreds of kids running through the gymnasium of Worcester's Boys & Girls Club on a daily basis. What is uncommon, however, is the sight of hundreds of adults and kids chatting with some of Major League Baseball's brightest local stars in that exact same gym.
That was the scene on Thursday night, January 15th when the Worcester Bravehearts Baseball Team hosted their first "Heart Stove Reception" with upwards of 350 guests in attendance at the Boys & Girls Club. The 90-minute panel discussion featured San Francisco Giants' 2014 first round draft-pick Tyler Beede, Major League Baseball player Chris Colabello, New York Mets executive J.P. Ricciardi, and Hall of Fame sportswriter Peter Gammons. Kevin Shea of Charter TV3 served as the moderator of the panel and guided their discussions on topics such as their experiences growing up in Central Massachusetts, anecdotes about some of the game's most colorful personalities, and their thoughts on how the game of baseball will evolve over the next twenty years.
The moderated panel discussion was preceded by a meet & greet with the stars of the show, and the highlight came when approximately 85 children and staff from the Boys & Girls Club streamed into the Club's "Kids Cafe" to take photos with the panelists and get their autographs. A portion of each ticket sold was given to the Boys & Girls Club, and the Bravehearts presented a check for $2,500 to the club's Executive Director, Ron Hadorn, at the end of the night. Hadorn said that the donation would cover school-year memberships to the Club for 100 youths.
"We are so grateful to the Bravehearts for hosting the exciting Heart Stove event, which brought baseball fans and greats together; all to support our organization," said Liz Hamilton, Assistant Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester. "The Bravehearts provided our Club kids with a unique experience - I think if they were not baseball fans before last night, they are now."
One of the more memorable moments from the night occurred before the panel started, when Hadorn took the stage to acknowledge the Club's oldest living alum, Eli Freedman, who was in attendance. Freedman, a Worcester resident, describes himself as "a very happy 97 year-old alumnus of the old Ionic Ave Boys Club, where, at the age of 5, I handed then Supervisor Dave Armstrong (who later became National Director of the Boys Clubs of America) 25 cents for my yearly ticket."
During the discussion, panelists were asked to express their thoughts on the future of America's pastime. Responses were mixed with some panelists pointing out ways that they think the game can improve.
"The game needs to get back into the cities," said J.P. Ricciardi, a special assistant to New York Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson and former Boys & Girls Club member himself. He went on to say that recruiting efforts for the next generation of the game's great players need to be expanded to include exceptional athletes in urban areas who may not have access to AAU teams and individual lessons that are so prevalent with adolescent baseball players today.
Toronto Blue Jays player and former Assumption College standout, Chris Colabello, concurred, expressing that "the game is becoming so specialized that it tends to overlook great all-around athletes." He recounted that, as a kid, he used to play baseball in the park after school with his friends but would then often play basketball and football with them too. "Nowadays," he said, "kids are so focused on baseball at a young age that their time is largely spent going to private hitting or pitching lessons and they don't have the opportunity to enjoy playing the game with their friends."
Attendees were also encouraged to ask questions to the panelists during the last half hour of the event.
Tiana Felix took the microphone and asked both Colabello and Beede what words of advice they have for the youths from the Boys & Girls Club in the audience.
"You need to just be yourself, enjoy what you do, and don't worry about what other people say about you," said Auburn resident and current professional baseball player Tyler Beede. His comments drew cheers from a re-energized contingent of Boys & Girls Club members representing "In Da Zone," the Club's dance team.
The Bravehearts hope to make their "Heart Stove" an annual event, according to General Manager Dave Peterson.
"The event did exactly what we wanted it to do," said Peterson. "We wanted to launch an event that highlights the amazing work that the staff members of the Worcester Boys & Girls Club do, while bringing the community and Bravehearts' fans together to talk baseball in the cold month of January."
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- Heart Stove Event Energizes Fans, Benefits Worcester Boys & Girls Club - Worcester Bravehearts
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