TORONTO - City high school baseball players made some new fans during their March 26 visit to pupils at Karaffa Elementary School.
The school cafeteria staff hosted a baseball opening day celebration that included members of the Toronto High School varsity baseball team being invited to eat lunch at the school and work as guest servers, according to Maureen Taggart, school district communications coordinator.
"We held a baseball opening day celebration at Karaffa for grades pre-school through through fifth," said Taggart. "The Toronto High School varsity baseball team was invited to join us for lunch. They were the guest servers. All the food was named after baseball terms."
Article Photos
Mark Miller
READY?TO?GO — Toronto High School Baseball players Spenser Sninchak, back, from left, Evan Johnson and Ralph King visit Karaffa Elementary School second-grader Alexis West. The THS baseball players visited Karaffa Elementary School March 26 in honor of baseball’s opening day. The players helped serve lunch, gave out prizes and signed autographs.
Taggart said the baseball-themed menu included a "grand slam" hot dog, "homerun" baked beans, "out-of-the-park" fruit tray and "stadium milk."
Prizes were awarded to students who received a "lucky" tray - a tray with the word "prize" written on it, Taggart said, and prizes included visors and wiffle bats and balls.
"Also given away were tickets to Red Knight baseball games," Taggart said, adding players also gave pupils Red Knight baseball schedules. "(The players) also gave away boxes of potato chips and other snacks. After finishing lunch, the baseball players visited with pupils at their tables. They also gave out autographs. Some of the pupils were really eager to get them."
Taggart said several pupils were celebrating birthdays and "the players went around and sang happy birthday to them. The kids loved that.
"After lunch, the baseball players lined up and gave high-fives and shook hands with pupils before they went back to class," Taggart continued.
"The Karaffa pupils also sang 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' and other cheers to get the players pumped up for their first game."
The Karaffa Elementary cafeteria staff includes Ruth Stansbury, Bobbie Hood, Cindy Mossor and Janet Burchfield, and they were responsible for coordinating the event, Taggart added.
"This has become an annual event in our cafeteria that the pupils really anticipate," she said. "They really look forward to it."
(Miller can be contacted at mmiller@heraldstaronline.com.)
