Special Pre-Game Visit for Bisons Trio
July 1, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release
A few of the Buffalo Bisons players took a special trip on Wednesday morning along with Buster Bison. Catcher Josh Thole, infielder Andy Burns and pitcher Jeff Francis went to Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo for a visit with the children before their game later on that evening against the Gwinnet Braves.
The players visited waiting rooms, did arts and crafts, and spent time with individual children in their rooms. Poster cards, jerseys, yearbooks and lunchboxes were given out to the children visited, but not before being signed by Thole, Burns, and Francis.
The children spent time talking with the players, telling them about school and sports. One little girl grabbed Thole's hand and decided she wanted to take him on a walk down the hallway. While a few were shy, most of the kids were very excited to see the players walk through their door.
"I thought it went really well. We were able to see a lot of kids and they had a lot of smiles on their faces. Obviously we wish we could get to see more kids, but we got to as many as we could," said Burns. "It's definitely something I would be interested in doing quite often. It's a good thing, it's a good cause, and we are able to make their days better."
Buster brought many smiles to kids faces, giving high fives and taking pictures. He also signed and handed out his baseball card to those who wanted it.
While some children were unable to see Buster and the boys during their visit to the hospital, they made sure to leave signed poster cards and yearbooks for the children to receive later on in the day.
As a father of three, Thole said he felt very fortunate to be able to go and spend time with the kids and their families. "There is definitely a soft spot in my heart for people that are going through tough times, especially with their kids. I always enjoy doing things like this; I have never shied away from visits like these, as hard as it can be."
It was clear Thole was hoping to put a smile on the parent's faces just as much as the children's.
"You can see how hard it is on everyone, the wear and tear on the parents. My wife and I are lucky to have three healthy kids right now, so to be able to give back is huge," said Thole.
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