Holy Cross Baseball Program Hosts Clinic for Military Families

The baseball team at the College of the Holy Cross recently hosted two events for military families.  On April 19, the team hosted Military Appreciation Day during a doubleheader against the United States Military Academy.  The team wore commemorative jerseys that were each sold upon the completion of the game, with proceeds of more than $1,500 benefitting the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital’s Home Base Program.  The Home Base Program reaches out to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families to help them heal from the aftermath of war, particularly post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury (TBI), through offering clinical care, community education, and research.

In conjunction with the Military Appreciation Day, the baseball team also hosted a clinic for military families on Sunday, May 4.  “I am sincerely hoping that our clinic for military families will become an annual event in Central Massachusetts,” says Head Coach  Greg DiCenzo.  “It enables our student-athletes to give back to those families that allow us the freedom to play and study at such a wonderful place like Holy Cross.”

Donny Murray ’15, a pitcher on the baseball team, describes how building relationships with the families remains the most memorable part of the clinic, even outside of the day’s formal events.  “My favorite moment of the morning took place about 30 minutes before the clinic officially got underway,” says Murray.  “I was talking to a few of the military parents, when I turned around to see that all of my teammates were playing catch and hanging out with the kids in the outfield.  I think this was everyone's favorite time of the event, because it was just a bunch of kids having fun and bonding through the game of baseball.”

The Holy Cross baseball team is involved in numerous community service initiatives throughout the academic year.  Members of the team continue to work on an annual basis with such organizations/events as the United Way’s Day of Caring, Walk for Suicide Awareness, Team Impact, Cannonball Foundation, Light the Night Worcester, and Community Reading Day at Worcester Arts Magnet School.