Jean Aitcheson, Paul Reece
and Rena Spevack Orr show some of the donated baseball equipment that local volunteers
will distribute to youngsters in the Dominican Republic later this month.
(SCOTT WISHART, The Beacon Herald)
A local medical mission to the Dominican Republic will be
covering all the bases later this month.
In
addition to taking medical supplies for assessments and health-and-hygiene
training, a team of 24 local volunteers will be carrying bags full of donated
baseball equipment to give to village youngsters to help them enjoy the game.
The
sport enjoys immense popularity in the Dominican. The country can even boast
the second-highest number of Major League Baseball players, after the United
States.
The
humanitarian effort is thanks to the good will of parents and players of the
Ontario Outlaws, a college prep program based in Guelph.
"This
is giving kids an opportunity to play the game, youngsters who wouldn't even
dream of the opportunities that our kids here in Canada have," said
Outlaws president and general manager Paul Reece, of Stratford.
"We
want to try to extend that dream to them."
Led by
the indefatigable Jean Aitcheson -- the retired Stratford nurse who's been a
facilitator and participant in missions for two decades -- the volunteers will
target five villages on the island during a 12-day stay.
They'll
be performing health checks and some lab work, like urinalysis and blood-sugar
testing.
They'll
also be giving reading glasses to those who need them, and offering fluoride
treatments for youngsters aged five to 14.
As
important as the medical work is, Aitcheson said the kids are bound to
appreciate the sports equipment more.
"They're
in isolated villages," she said. "We just want to give them some
encouragement and show that people care about them.
"For
them to have the opportunity to play…That's what we want."
Reece
said he came up with the idea to offer the equipment after chatting with fellow
Stratford YMCA board member Rena Spevack Orr, who is on the medical mission
team.
He put
the word out to the 60-or-so families in the Outlaws organization and has never
looked back.
He
dropped off three large bags full of cleats, balls, bats and uniforms on
Friday, and expected to return with more jerseys and equipment this weekend.
"Five
minutes before I came here today, I talked to one of my coaches and he said he
just found a brand new helmet and brand new pair of spikes, never worn, sitting
in his garage."
The trip
is being run with the support of the Festival City Rotary Club, which is
helping the team identify needs in partnership with Rotary clubs in the Dominican.
Three-quarters
of the mission team are current or retired Stratford General Hospital staff
members. Each pays his or her own way, and covers individual expenses.
But, as
Aitcheson said, "the experience is priceless".
