Warning: Hankie Alert
A very touching story in today’s Boston Globe. I couldn’t help but be reminded what a central role the game of baseball played in my childhood, and in my relationship with my father.
A die hard Red Sox fan from Utah promised his sons that he would take them to Fenway Park to see a game this summer. The father, James W. Taylor, Jr. was killed in a helicopter accident in Arizona in June. He worked as an emergency room nurse, served as a first lieutenant in the US Army Reserves and worked part time on Life Flight. He was on a Life Flight, working to save a life, when the accident happened.
The Taylor family wanted to let the boys live out this dream of seeing their team at Fenway Park. James sister posted a message on a Red Sox fan site asking if anyone could help her make this dream a reality.
Well, Red Sox Nation, the players and some local businesses stepped up big time.
“I’m writing in hopes that there will be someone, somewhere that will read this story. Somehow, someway our family will find a way to get my brother’s boys to a Red Sox game. With all the expenses of the funeral we may need help . . .”
And Red Sox Nation took it from there.
“I was suspicious at first,” said Tom Nardozzi, a Red Sox fan from New Hampshire who quarterbacked the drive. “I asked her what she needed and she said, ‘Damn near everything.’ ”
More than $2,000 in donations from as far away as New Zealand and Denmark were collected by Cyn Donnelly, a longtime Red Sox blogger. JetBlue donated eight round-trip tickets from Salt Lake City to Boston. Fight promoter Al Valenti took the family to Regina’s in the North End but when he tried to pick up the check, the restaurant told him there would be no check.
Nardozzi bought the Taylor family eight box seats just up from the Red Sox’ on-deck circle. But he didn’t want to talk about his act of kindness.
“Whaddya mean why am I doing this? It just seemed the right thing to do. A 10-year-old boy loses his dad. The common connection is Red Sox baseball. I love the Boston Red Sox. Why not?”
Do yourself a favor and read the full story, and don’t miss the photo gallery either.