Jennifer Felice took the ball confidently, wound up and delivered a strike – it was the perfect start to a great evening as The Resource Center held its annual “Greg Peterson/TRC Night at the Ballpark” on August 2.
Each year, the agency invites employees and members of the Board of Directors, service recipients, family members, and friends to attend a Jamestown Jammers baseball game at Russell A. Diethrick Stadium in Jamestown. TRC’s Board holds its monthly meeting before the game, and then Board members get to relax and enjoy the game with one another and their families.
One special facet is that each year, an individual with disabilities who receives supports from TRC gets to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. This year, Jennifer Felice was chosen for the honor. She and her father, Michael (who is the Chair of TRC Foundation’s Board and an avid New York Yankees fan), practiced the weekend before the game. Jennifer basked in the glory of getting to throw out the first pitch. As she strode toward the pitcher’s mound, the public address announcer mentioned her name, and Jen received loud cheers from the members of TRC’s family who were in the stands.
On cue, Jen delivered a nice throw to Jammers Catcher Aaron Dudley. Aaron autographed the ball and returned it to Jennifer as a souvenir of her special night.
TRC’s annual Night at the Ballpark is named in honor of Greg Peterson, a local attorney who has served on the Boards of TRC or TRC Foundation for more than 30 years. Greg also is a huge baseball fan, so in 2005 TRC decided to honor Greg by naming the annual get-together after him.
Greg chatted with Jennifer, Mike and Mike’s wife, Laura, before the ceremonial first pitch, putting them at ease and telling Mike he could come onto the field to take Jen’s picture. “Don’t be shy,” Greg said to Mike. “Pretend you have a press pass.”
When a member of the Jammers staff asked Greg if he would be throwing out the first pitch, he shook his head and pointed at Jennifer, saying she could throw the ball better than he could. “Jen will put me to shame.”
While it was readily apparent that he enjoyed having Jennifer on hand to throw out the first pitch, it also was obvious that Greg appreciated the fact that the event is named in his honor.
“This night is tying in two things that are near and dear to me: professional baseball and The Resource Center,” Greg said. “The relationship between The Resource Center and professional baseball goes back many years.” He and Mike, who served a stint as President of The Resource Center’s Board in the 1980s, recollected that back then, TRC had an arrangement to be the exclusive season-ticket sellers for Jamestown Class A team, which at the time was named the Expos. Greg and Mike remembered that TRC was so successful in that venture that ESPN did a story.
“It’s only fitting that Greg Peterson be recognized tonight,” said Mike, “with all of his contributions to TRC, baseball and the (Robert H.) Jackson Center.” Greg was the driving force behind the creation of the Jackson Center.
As for the game itself, the Jammers jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings en route to an 11-3 win over State College. It was a great ending to a great evening.
Jennifer Felice poses with Greg Peterson and Jamestown Jammers Catcher Aaron Dudley after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.