As always, the star of the game threw the first pitch. Then the Medicine Hat Mavericks grabbed an early lead wearing their Captain America-inspired jerseys, eventually earning a 15-5 win over what we dubbed as Team Hydra, the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
This year's first pitch was thrown by someone Dominic knew. We met Cahleb and his mom Laura because he and Dom were a perfect match for a play date. While Dom had a stroke in addition to his cancer that affected his mobility, Cahleb was born blind, plus he's got a rare condition called congenital pan-hypopituitarism that's life-threatening and requires regular medication and therapy.
Now five years old, Cahleb has a younger brother Dhylan and the two of them are an absolute blast. Cahleb doesn't go to the Alberta Children's Hospital a lot, but their role in his care is important anyhow. As Laura tells it, they've helped teach the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital how to deal with his condition and how best to treat him.
As soon as they got to the ball park, Cahleb got to meet members of the 501st Legion (charity volunteers who cosplay as stormtroopers and other villains of the Star Wars universe). These three have been at all three Superhero Night events and were amazing as always, even saving our #Dominicstrong booth with oodles of duct tape!
They knew what to do, bending down so Cahleb could touch their armour and helmets (because that's how he sees). Then it was time to go throw the first pitch, which was amazing to watch. The crowd really delivered with applause when told he'd only know they were there if he could hear them.
The players stepped up too, embracing their roles as superheroes by adding masks prior to the game starting. I'd like to note the Mavericks have never so much as trailed on the scoreboard during any of the three Superhero Night games, and they've won all of them.
As for the rest of the night, thanks to our friends Chris, Starr, James, Krista and Brandon and our family who were visiting from Ontario, we were able to see more of the game than ever before! But I will say, it wasn't a good night to be sitting still - thunderstorms were in the area, a cold wind was blowing and attendance was not what it usually is. I don't blame people for staying away - it wasn't a nice night to be outdoors. We've been lucky the past two years with lots of sun.
Team staff did a great job, bringing in Under the Stars performers dressed as Batman, Joker and the Incredibles. We were honoured to receive a cheque for $1,500 on behalf of the Alberta Children's Hospital, plus a bit more cash donated at our table.
A reminder that if you're interested in buying one of the game-worn jerseys, just call the Mavericks at 403-580-5811. They cost CDN$105 including tax.
The next month will continue to be busy for us as we get going with the online auction, which will be at the end of September as always. If you or your business are interested in donating something for it, just reach out to either Trish or I! We have a special email for #Dominicstrong, it's donations@dominicstrong.com.
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