Ra'anana Express hits a grand slam with cancer children
Chaiyanu, the Israel branch of Chai Lifeline, hosted hundreds of cancer children and their families to an amazing outing at Park Ra'anana on July 4th
"They hit a home run with every child" commented Yaakov Pinsky, director of Chaiyanu, "they played ball not only with the sick kids but embraced the siblings and parents as well".
When Yanai from Beersheba received an autographed baseball from pitcher Travis Zier he couldn't stop smiling. He said "I have watched games with my Dad on the internet. I love the game but I never dreamed I would meet a real baseball player and get a real baseball".
Yanai's father said "This is a great day for all of us, Chaiyanu really gave us such joy; I haven't seen Yanai smile like this in months, thank you so much".
When catcher, Jesse Michel gave Ron from Tel Aviv a baseball glove, he showed him how to wear it and how to catch as he played catch with him for over twenty minutes. Ron's father said "Ron wasn't really feeling well today but his sister took him over to meet the team players and from that moment on he felt great".
Josh Zumbrun, pitcher for Ra'anana Express, took a group of over thirty kids and showed them how to pitch, while other children were catching and parents were enthralled by this whole experience. Gila, the mother of Ruti who was just released from isolation after a bone-marrow transplant, said, "We started off the day with a clown show, treasure hunt, food galore, a magic show and then the Ra'anana Baseball team came. We are originally from Brazil and we know about baseball, so for us this was a very special treat to play with the players and especially with infielder, Ben Katz-Moses who gave my husband a brand new glove. He's been looking forward to a new glove and couldn't believe that at the Chaiyanu event he would get one."
As Josh Zumbrun told Motti Kornfeld, director of community development at Chaiyanu, "For many Israel Baseball League players, the opportunity to play professional baseball is the realization of a lifelong dream.
"Yet, our presence in Israel is not nearly about our dreams as much as it is about those in Israel - its communities and its citizens. That's why we are here. To spread the joy that baseball has brought to our own lives, by reaching out to the community in every opportunity."
The Israel Baseball League is the first professional baseball league in the Middle East. There are six teams in the inaugural season, the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox, the Modi'in Miracle, the Petach Tikva Pioneers, the Netanya Tigers, the Ra'anana Express, and the Tel Aviv Lightning.
