Tuesday was a beautiful day to celebrate Spring Training baseball and public education at LECOM Park in Bradenton!
The Pittsburgh Pirates recruited Cynthia Saunders to throw her last “first pitch” as Superintendent for the School District of Manatee County.
She’ll be retiring at the end of the school year and they presented her with a personalized jersey.
The ball landed a little left of the plate, but Ms. Saunders said she was trying to keep the catcher and mascot, “Pirate Parrot”, on his toes.
The Bucs may have been victorious, beating the Orioles 7-4, but the real winner was the Manatee Education Foundation.
Pirates Charities and Jeff Podobnik, VP of Florida Operations, presented a $15,000 check to MEF President Mary Glass for their “Adopt a School” program.
Funds will benefit three K-12 schools in Manatee County.
The mission of MEF is to provide funding for innovative programs and enhanced educational opportunities for teachers and students beyond allocated state dollars.
We thank the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders for their continued support and partnership.
Another ceremonial pitcher, Ernie Withers, joined Podobnik, Glass and Saunders on the field.
A supporter of the school district, Withers was being celebrated on Tuesday, alongside a doctor and the Pirates' medical/training team.
After the presentations on the field, a retired educator greeted Superintendent Saunders in the stands.
"Thank you for everything," said Barry Abbott from Dubois, Pennsylvania. "Here's a game ball because I appreciate what you do."
A memorable day at LECOM Park, for sure.