 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Having a ball at Murnane Field Esche, friends raise money for charity Fri, Jun 24, 2005 CRAIG MUDER Observer-Dispatch
UTICA -- Robert Esche pushed his lips through the Murnane Field fence, kissed his daughter Ashlynn and trotted onto the field to play in his Save of the Day Softball Challenge Thursday night. The smile never once left his face. "Do you know how awesome this is?" said Esche, referring to both his National Hockey League buddies at the game as well as the 800 or so fans in attendance. "It's been so easy to do this because the guys have been great and everyone has supported us. That's what makes this successful." Esche's third annual softball fundraiser brought NHL stars like Eric Weinrich and Tim Connolly to town to play on Esche's team against a team of New York State Troopers. The game was more entertaining than competitive as Esche liberally re-arranged his lineup throughout the contest. But the fans were treated to a fantastic show by 1989 West Canada Valley graduate Brett Helmer, who works for Easton Sports. Helmer used his Easton bats to blast several prodigious home runs out of Murnane Field - one of which nearly rolled onto Burrstone Road more than 500 feet away. "They called me up and asked if I would play," said Helmer, who travels the country to play exhibition games. "It's just great to be here." Esche's NHL friends also gave freely of their time, flying in from all over North America for Thursday's game and today's golf outing at Turning Stone. "Rob's got a really good group of guys working with him," said Weinrich, who played for the Utica Devils of the American Hockey League from 1988-90. "It's a fun time, and it's a good cause." The fans felt the same way, spending money on concessions and T-shirts to support Esche's Save of the Day Foundation, which helps local children with life-threatening illnesses. "We were riding by and stopped to see it," said Utica's Ruby Madden. "It's a nice crowd for Utica." As usual, the crowd saved its largest applause for Esche, the Whitesboro native and Philadelphia Flyers goalie who appears to relish his chance to give something back to the Mohawk Valley. "We have a lot of fun doing this, but really it's all about the kids," Esche said. "You can tell the people in the stands feel the same way."
|
