'I know Maggie has a couple of fans in Michigan, but I have to tell you something. We LOVED Game 1. I post of picture of Maggie in her panda hat and the Panda hits not 1, not 2, but THREE home runs! She is officially a lucky charm now.
I thought one of the most moving parts of the game was everyone hold up signs for Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Everyone in the stadium, the umpires, players, coaches and fans were invited to stand up and hold up a card bearing the name of someone with cancer.
It was a great moment and demonstrated how many people are touched by cancer. The cards had the names of different people or words like "my dad", which was touching. As they panned through the crowd I saw one guy holding up a sign that honored "all my friends at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital." That made me smile because I see those kids all the time and they definitely deserve recognition and honor.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is really behind this cause. The banner waving was great and drew a lot of attention, but they do more than that. According to the clip below, MLB has donated millions of dollars to fight cancer and I know for a fact that the Giants players are very involved with the kids at UCSF. I have seen them in the hallways and see the GIANT smiles on the kids after the visits.
The current Giants player have been a little tied up the past few weeks, so the Giants sent some of their former stars up to the hospital yesterday to visit the kids. Vida Blue and Bill Laskey, and of course the Giants mascot Lou Seal were a big hit with the kids. As Kim Scurr says in the video , these visits and other things that help normalize the world for a child in the hospital are as important as the medical treatments the hospital provides.
check it out. this short video. You can see some of the smiles for yourself. http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25445763
It's good when worlds collide.
excellent post! I thought of Maggie and her panda hat last night when Sandoval was hittin them out of the park last nite!!
ReplyDeleteBetween the sheer game excitement and then that first pitch with that brave veteran, tears and snot were streaming down my face waaaay before the first pitch! Looking at Maggie in all her gear brought a major smile to my face this morning...she just looks FANtastic!
ReplyDeleteIt's okay - Maggie's fans in Michigan (at least this one) know it's great to have pride in one's home team. Plus, what a great way to show support for people with cancer. Truly bringing some class to sport.
ReplyDeleteA friend in Michigan,
Sarah