Mets team up with cancer patients

There was a lot of activity on the field at Shea Stadium on Wednesday, July 9 as the field was prepped, the bases were run, and work was done on hitting, pitching and fielding.
But, it wasn’t the Mets doing all the work. It was pediatric cancer patients from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
This marks the fourth year that the Mets organization and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society have teamed up for Kids Day at Shea, which brought about 40 children to the stadium this year.
“It was a brilliant idea from the start,” said the society’s executive director, Michael Osso, adding that it gives the children a chance to forget about cancer and treatments and just enjoy the day.
Mets Director of Community Outreach Jill Knee said that the team’s ownership has always stressed the importance of community service, and that they have even begun the initiative TeamMets to encourage others to get involved.
“We just hope it makes them feel better,” Knee said of the day.
The day began with the kids working with the grounds crew, learning how to drag the field put in the bases and fix the areas around the pitcher’s mound and home plate. Grounds crew head Bill Deacon said that they love seeing the kids and seeing them smiling and happy.
“We just get enjoyment out of seeing them come out here and be happy,” he said.
After taking a break for a ballpark lunch complete with hotdogs and crackerjacks, the children returned to the field to join a WFAN group to participate in several clinics where they learned about pitching, hitting, and fielding. They were conducted by bullpen coach Guy Conti, batting practice pitcher Juan Lopez, and pitcher Joe Smith.
Conti said that he loves working with the children and teaching them the mechanics of the game. At the end of his portion of the clinic, he encouraged the children to keep the Mets in their prayers.
Smith, who lent out his glove to some of the kids during the clinic, said that getting to be on the field is not an every day experience and that it’s nice to put a smile on the children’s faces. He also said that he hoped the kids had fun playing at Shea Stadium.
“It kind of makes you realize what you’ve got, just to come out here and play a game every day and be healthy,” Smith said. “Not everybody’s blessed with health. It’s something that can be taken away real quick.”
Juan Pichardo, a 10-year-old from Corona, was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2001 and then a second time in 2007. He has been a Mets fan since coming to Shea in 2005 and is now a big fan of Jose Reyes. Pichardo said that the best parts of the day were batting and getting to run the bases.
“It’s fun,” he said. “It’s very fun.”
Pichardo’s mother, Benilda Rodriguez, said that her son was overly excited on the way to Kids Day at Shea. She extended her thanks to all of the people who made the event possible.
“It makes us a little hopeful that, for at least one day, my son can be completely happy,” Rodriguez said.
Osso said that he loves seeing the look on the children’s faces as they first take the field. For Knee, the highlight is seeing the youngsters learn how to drag the field.