Unforgettable. It’s been the title of a film, a novel, multiple albums and of course a beloved song and, on one Friday last August, it also became the absolute best way to describe a night at Dodger Stadium for 25 area children.
The young fans were from CoachArt, which provides arts and athletics program for Los Angeles area children and teens with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. And the evening was under the auspices of the Buses for Baseball program, an MLB Player’s Trust initiative that partners with local transit authorities and charitable organizations—in this case, the Summa Children’s Foundation—togive under privileged children the chance to experience Major League Baseball in a way typically enjoyed only by the privileged few.
SCF Co-founder Brian Werdesheim and his
wife, Janelle, were on hand as the young people were
escorted onto the field for batting practice, 
watched
themselves featured on the jumbo screen and posed for
pictures with players. “Luis Gonzales [below right] was
amazing,” says Werdesheim. “He really paid attention
to the kids and asked them lots of questions. We were
also grateful to Derek Lowe, Mark Sweeney and
Juan Pierre [below left], who did yeoman work
signing and posing, too.”
Befitting their VIP status, the CoachArters had special third-level seats that provided a terrific view of the game, which the Dodgers obligingly won, beating the Rockies 6-4. Ample quantities of soda and Dodger dogs were consumed by all, and when the last batter was out, the children left the ballpark with an enviable collection of autographed shirts and hats… and an eveningful of memories.
SCF Founder Jim Miles was first introduced to
Buses for Baseball by long-time friend and former
major leaguer Bobby Bonilla, now with the Player’s
Association, and Summa’s relationship as a funding
partner dates back to a 2005 event at Morton’s Steakhouse
that raised funds for this and other Player’s
Trust-sponsored children’s programs. “The Summa
Children’s Foundation and the Player’s Trust share a
deep commitment to improving the lives of children
in our local communities,” says Miles.
Which, of course, happens one life at a time. Forever etched in Werdesheim’s memory is the image of one young girl at the August outing. “She was there with her brother—CoachArt makes it a point to include siblings in their programs—and she was wearing a hat to cover thinning hair from chemotherapy,” he says. “But nothing could cover her smile.”
Unforgettable.
For more information about CoachArt visit their website: www.coachart.org