Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Aaron Judge, the Yankees outfielder, hit a home run just as the group settled into their seats at Yankee Stadium on June 29. “It was like he hit it just for us!” said June Schechner, a LifeTown volunteer who served as a chaperone.
The homerun made the score to 3-2, and before long the Yankees took the lead, ultimately winning 5-3 with another home run by Giancarlo Stanton.
“The Yankees won, it was fun, and we had a great time!” said Braeden Schecter, 12. “It was a great experience talking to each other and hanging out.” He was intrigued with the players diving for bases and balls. “It just shows how much they care, and how much fun they have,” he said.
Schecter was among the group of 40, including about 15 LifeTown families and JESPY House participants who had a ball at Yankee Stadium, courtesy of a Friendship Circle supporter who donated the seats.
during the game, Rabbi Yisroel Rosenblum helped members of the group put on tefillin. “It was an amazing experience,” said Ryan Teicher, who came with his son, Jonah, 14. “Only in New York can you combine tefillin and baseball,” he said.
“Maybe that brought us some good luck,” said Schechner.
Of course, what’s a game without the cheers and waves and dances? Ava Minsky, 13, had a blast doing the YMCA dance.
For self-described “die hard” Yankees fans like Nick Taubenslag, from JESPY House, it was a thrill to see his team win and experience the stadium for the first time. “The energy at Yankee Stadium is incredible!” he gushed.
Sitting down the third baseline, the group braved the sun and the heat for the chance to see their favorite players. Some found relief under a shady overhang, parents watched one another’s’ kids, and, the whole group impressed fans in adjacent seats. “Everyone was really well behaved, and some of the folks around us were asking more about the group and the organization,” said Schechner.
They rooted for the home team, had some proverbial peanuts and cracker jacks, and though a few players struck out, the day was a home run.
