CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kids in the hospital at CAMC Women and Children’s had their day brightened up a bit by the Dirty Birds.
The Charleston-based baseball team partnered with Charleston Area Medical Center and the CAMC Foundation Monday to give the pediatric patients a chance to ask some of the players a few questions about the sport, the team, and who they are on and off the field.
Dirty Birds Community Engagement Manager Jill Gearin said they were essentially encouraging the kids to ask the team anything they wanted to know for the kids-only press conference.
“Whether it’s about baseball, about life, about hardships, their favorite movies, whatever it is, we just want to make these kids feel special and make sure we are involved in this community,” Gearin said.
Gearin said this is a new event they are trying out for the first time.
She said it’s the brainchild of Dirty Birds Owner and CEO Andy Shea after he held a similar event in Lexington when he was the owner of another baseball team there.
Gearin said based on the success Shea had with the event there, as well as the success they have had with all of their previous Dirty Birds events, they only see this one being nothing but well-received by the kids and the community.
“I mean we always have really good feedback, again this is our first one here at CAMC, first one the Dirty Birds are doing, but Andy personally has had really good feedback from the kid’s families, from doctors, nurses, and the hospital, so we are really excited to hear how they think and how we can improve the event in future years too,” she said.
She said CAMC has also been a huge supporter of professional baseball in the Capital City, and this event is only further growing the decades long partnership between them and the Dirty Birds.
Gearin said it was a great way to spend a day off for the team, to take a pause while still getting to talk about the sport they love, and to be able to put a smile on the faces’ of children who may need it the most.
“I have a great job where I work in baseball, these baseball players have a great job where they get to go to the ballpark everyday and have fun, but being able to do something like this really grounds you, it makes you realize there is something so much bigger in baseball, and being able to bring joy to these kids is so important to us,” Gearin said.
The Dirty Birds will return to their home field again Tuesday with first pitch starting 6:35 p.m. against the Lexington Legends.