From Connecticut to Queens
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 From Connecticut to Queens: A very special Father's Day at Citi Field
This past Father's Day, Ridgefield's Lynn Cohen, of the nonprofit Pitch in For a Good Cause Foundation, made sure twelve boys had the time of their lives watching the Mets at Citi Field. Nothing would get in the way-not the rainy weather forecast, not the distance to travel, and certainly not the fact that these boys are growing up without fathers.
The Pitch in for a Good Cause Foundation, now in its second year, was founded by Lynn Cohen to raise funds and awareness for the favorite charities of New York Mets' announcers, her husband, Gary Cohen, former Mets captain and first baseman Keith Hernandez, and former starting pitcher Ron Darling. Through the website GaryKeithandRon.com, the Foundation sells merchandise and holds events at the Mets' Citi Field, with all the proceeds going to charity. For the Father's Day event, though, Cohen wanted the Foundation's outreach to touch a more immediate need, providing a wonderful day to children who have lost or been abandoned by their fathers. The boys, aged 8-13, were affiliated with the Children's Aid Society in Harlem and the Share Joy Foundation in Connecticut, and for the local boys, the day would start with a rare treat, a limousine ride, donated by Patrick Treglia of Norwalk, all the way from Connecticut to Citi Field.
Once at the ballpark, all the kids met their special "dads for a day," the GaryKeithandRon supporters who had volunteered to take the boys under their wings for the afternoon. The VIP treatment would continue as the Mets organization gave the kids official wristbands and let them walk on the field before the game, even encouraging them to take pictures in front of the Mets dugout. If every boy dreams of being a professional ball player, then these boys got about as close as it gets for an elementary school kid. Before the game began, one boy-whose mother had proudly said was a big reader-got to sit at a table with Keith Hernandez while the former Met hero signed copies of his newly released book, Shea Good-Bye. Though the boy was too young to remember Keith's glory as part of the Championship 1986 Mets, Lynn Cohen assured him, "In twenty-five years, you will be very excited that you got to sit at a table with the Keith Hernandez!," and indeed, that afternoon Keith won over a bright new fan.
After their journey on the field, the boys and their "dads" joined another eighty GaryKeithandRon supporters to watch the game in the Modell's Clubhouse, a lounge-like area located right between the outfield walls, separated from the field's warning track and the outfielders themselves by only a chain-link fence. As the boys lined benches and pressed their faces toward the grass just inches away, their day of being the center of everyone's attention had only just begun. Baseball Digest Daily's Joe Hamrahi presented the kids with Mets backpacks filled with gift items from several MLB teams, and the Mets organization donated tote bags stuffed with giveaway items like a Johan Santana bobblehead, Mets pins, visors, and other exciting treats. CEO of Modell's, Mitchell Modell, came by personally to give all the boys $25 gift cards to Modell's. And of course, for every growing boy, little is more important than the food. Rob Cascarino of Original Cascarino's of College Point donated unlimited pizza and pasta, Deep River Snacks provided gourmet potato chips, Cascon Cheesecake Company of Whitestone created blue and orange cupcakes for the occasion, and Mario of Millillo Farm made sure the kids had fresh baked cookies.
But really, even with all the wonderful donated goodies for the boys to enjoy, and even with the Mets players just feet away, the highlight of the day was no doubt the volunteer "dads" and all the other GKR supporters who joined the boys to hang out, talk, play, and-in truth-bond. Armani, from the Children's Aid Society in Harlem, was one of the bigger Mets fans in the group, and when he told one of the GKR supporters that he played first base in little league, he got a big pat on the back. "We coulda used you," she said, "when we lost Delgado." A few feet away, volunteer dad Ryan Schlachter made a lasting friend in another Ryan, from the Share Joy Foundation. When they exchanged phone numbers, the younger Ryan asked eagerly, "I can text you, really?" His dad-for-the-day nodded enthusiastically, "Anytime, no matter what." All the volunteers for the day expressed that they were honored to be a part of the event, and every single one asked to do it again next year.
Two more guest stars dropped by the event to make sure everyone involved had the fullest GaryKeithandRon and Mets experience possible. Ridgefield resident and Mets play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen spends generous time with the fans at every GKR event, chatting, signing autographs, and posing for pictures, always with a broad smile on his face. He has come to know several of the GKR fans personally, and the care and attention that he gives the Foundation has long been appreciated by all involved. And Mr. Met himself stops by many of the events to pose for pictures. The kids rushed to his side, as did many of the adults, and everyone who wanted one came away with a photograph. Not the chattiest guest, Mr. Met, but it's not a stretch to say his cheerful smile reached beyond the costume.
Alas, the Mets wouldn't pull off a win that Sunday, but not even an hour or so rain delay could dampen the spirits of this jubilant group. The kids had a blast right to the very last moment. And indeed at the end, when volunteer dad Ryan was leaving, he waved one last goodbye to his new buddy Ryan and shouted, "Make sure you text me!" It's easy to imagine that more than one lasting relationship began that Father's Day at Citi Field.
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