Home Plate Lessons Offered to Children in Need

Parish Episcopal baseball players go for a double with second Vogel Alcove clinic

After a baseball clinic ran a year ago for Vogel Alcove proved a hit, Parish Episcopal high school team members entered this summer with even more confidence and readiness.

At the June 21 clinic, the boys provided fun and learning for the children and $5,152.28 from fundraising to Vogel Alcove. 

Incoming Parish senior Parker Wilderom hopes the children learned valuable life skills as well as baseball ones.

“Baseball is a game of failure,” added Nick Rolfi. “You’re gonna fail in life; you gotta learn how to overcome that.”

Vogel Alcove helps families overcome the trauma of homelessness by offering early childhood development, family support, developmental and behavioral health services, and summer camps.

Valeria Pernia, manager of Vogel Alcove’s school age program, enjoyed seeing the children getting attention from the older boys and adults, as well as an opportunity to get active.

Sophie Milo is the mother of Thomas Milo, who was there with the Parish boys, and Dean Milo, who had the idea of the clinic last year.

“It makes me so happy to know that these kids can experience something that they don’t get on a daily basis like our children do,” she said. “In addition to the joy I see in them playing today, knowing that they get to experience a camp that our children maybe at their age took for granted.”

Janice Rolfi, the mother of Nick Rolfi, said exposure to the game could ignite in the campers a lifelong interest they in turn could share. 

“Overall, it is the sense of pride in love that you feel for giving to your community and showing them those skills that you’ve learned for the last eight to 10 years that you can now teach others the same love of the game,” she said.

Chad Allen, a former Major League Baseball player in Minnesota, Texas, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Miami, sat on a bucket signing baseballs for the children. 

“The biggest thing for me is giving back,” he said. “Let’s try to teach kids the right thing not only in baseball, but also in life.”