(NOTE: Reprinted through permission granted by author Chris Demirdjian – MyArkLaMiss)
Sometimes if you can’t give a gift, you can be the present in someone’s life.
“I mean, it’s really fun,” said WHS second baseman, Braden Theriot. “It’s a blessing to be able to come up there to make these kids’ day and do something good for them.”
It was a regular day for Weston High School’s baseball team, but essentially Christmas morning for dozens of young children in Ruston. The kids were the recipients of love and items handed out.
“It’s a surreal experience that we get to give these kids a good experience and come out here and do the best we can,” said pitcher and outfielder, Layton Garrett “It really shows us we can’t take anything for granted and how lucky and blessed we are to do the things that we’re able to do.”
They first handed out gifts to those at the Lincoln Parish Early Childhood Learning Center.
“I always enjoy doing good things for people who may not have a chance to get in on some of the stuff that people like me usually do,” said pitcher/third baseman, Cooper Delaney. “I was really excited to come here and excited to have the opportunity to come up here and make Christmas special for some people who don’t usually have something like this.”
“We have never had a group of young men come to our school just for our kids,” said Mechelle Brown, self-contained special education teacher. “They need to be commended on it.”
The credit the Wolves baseball team received was in the form of smiles on the faces of many young children.
Oh, it’s great,” said pitcher, Tayt Culpepper. “it makes these kids’ day and just warms your heart.”
The team also donated their time at Little Helpers in Ruston, and at a foster care facility in the city.
Aside from handing out more gifts, there were lessons to be learned.
“Some of them don’t have the ability to go out on the field and do what we do every day,” reflected Theriot. “This is really just a blessing to give them something back.”
“Makes me feel good that we’re out here doing this, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” said Garrett.
“They just make me think how thankful we are to be like we are,” said Culpepper.
To see the full news story video aired by television station KTBS, Channel 10 click here.
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