To the Editor:
On behalf of the Bayonne Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken baseball league, I would like to thank everyone for contributing to our 8th Annual Make A Kid Smile campaign.
When I first formed the Make A Kid Smile campaign eight years ago, I had no idea that it would turn into something so spectacular. It all started when I sent a simple mass email to all the families of the baseball league that I coach and one which I’m proud to be one of the cofounders of The Bayonne Babe Ruth & Cal Ripken Baseball League. I asked if they could assist me with making a donation so we could make some less fortunate kids smile by buying them sneakers during the Christmas season. The donations poured in and we helped numerous families during some hard times, and the rest was history.
Eight years later it has now turned into not only a Cal Ripken event, but people from all over wanting to help. People all over the city of Bayonne are contributing and donating this year as far away as Massachusetts and Florida to help this great cause.
As we have done for the past several years, we were able to partner with two of the league’s most generous sponsors, Modell’s Sporting Goods in Jersey City and the Bayonne PBA Local # 7 (Police Benevolent Association), which made significant donations to help get things started.
After it was all said and done, the donations totaled $9,035 and we helped almost 100 kids who were then taken on an amazing shopping spree over to Modell’s in Jersey City. The smiles from the kids were priceless and the stories on how we touched some of their lives left us with tears in our eyes and memories we will always cherish.
In the eight years since the inception of the event, with the help of all of you, we have helped raise more than $50,000.
I would also like to thank my friend Jen Lapinski from Lapinski Photo, who spent the entire day with me as she always does taking awesome pictures. I want to thank all the teachers, the guidance counselors, nurses, secretaries and principals who nominated the kids from every school in Bayonne to be represented at the event. A final thanks to the Bayonne Community News for always showing your support and writing a beautiful article on the event which helps get the word out and as a result helps so much more with the donations. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. God Bless and thanks for helping to make some kids smile.
MICHAEL MISELIS
Vice President, Bayonne Cal Ripken Baseball League