A Home Run for Mentoring!

Amy and John, a mentor pair through HowardCenter’s Community Friends Mentoring, were selected to throw out the first pitch together at Mentoring Night at Centennial Field.

What better way to celebrate summer than by taking in a baseball game with a special friend? Earlier this month, the Vermont Lake Monsters hosted nearly 50 volunteer mentors and their mentees for Mentoring Night at Centennial Field in Burlington. Tickets were provided by the Lake Monsters, and the event was co-sponsored by the Chittenden County Mentoring Network and Mobius.

Mentor pairs from eight different programs were treated to free admission, and HowardCenter Community Friends mentor Amy Spector and her eight-year-old mentee John Tatro threw out the first pitch together.

Deborah and Hailey, a mentor pair through the Mentor Connector.

“Throwing out the first pitch was so exciting for us,” said Amy. “Seeing John on the pitcher’s mound was the highlight of my summer…and he threw a perfect strike!”

While many of the mentor pairs came from neighboring towns, mentors and mentees travelled from as far south as Rutland County to join the festivities.  Deborah Campanelli, a mentor through the Mentor Connector, made the trip to Burlington with her 11-year-old mentee Hailey McLaughlin, a student at Fair Haven Grade School.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the game, although the Lake Monsters lost,” said Deborah. “Hailey and I have been together for a short time, but have been swimming, and visited the Rutland County Humane Society and donated bedding for the animals. We are excited about all the things we plan to do together.”

Despite a brief rain shower, Spectrum pair Jay and Joey had a fun night at the ballpark.

Other longer term matches in attendance included Jay Dietrich and his 17-year-old mentee Joey Bell from Spectrum Mentoring.

“Joey and I really enjoy the events that Mobius arranges for mentors and mentees,” said Jay.  “We were able to enjoy a fun evening watching an exciting game and spend time talking about important and trivial items.”

Fellow mentor Nancy Colbourn concurred: “We had a great time at the game. While we enjoy doing things just the two of us, we also like to participate in events with other mentors/mentees.  It’s fun to meet up with other pairs a few times a year.”

Nancy and Garrett from HowardCenter’s Community Friends Mentoring.

Nancy has been matched with her mentee, Garrett, for nearly six years, first through Connecting Youth Mentoring at Williston Central School, and more recently through Community Friends.

Katie Miller, the coordinator of Milton Mentors!, found the event to be a “home run” for everyone involved, program staff, mentors, and mentees alike:  “It was inspiring to see a group of people coming together that all support and participate in mentoring!”

A pair of Milton Mentors! pairs: mentee Tiana and her mentor Lisa Bongiorno, and mentor Katie Miller and her mentee Lydia.

*Are you a current mentor who enjoys baseball but couldn’t make it that night? Email [email protected] to find out how you and your mentee can get a pair of tickets for a Lake Monsters game of your choice (supplies are limited, so let us know ASAP).

For more information and photos from the event, we encourage you to check out our Facebook album.