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By Bill Lilley
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, Apr 28, 2009
Romick, however, always is the first in line when it comes to volunteering to visit ailing youngsters at Akron Children's Hospital in connection with the annual Diamond Classic for Kids game between Kent State and the University of Akron.
The game is a ''bonus'' contest between two longtime rivals, played each year at Canal Park. This year's game, which will be played May 5, does not count in the Mid-American Conference standings.
But it still means a lot to the Zips and Golden Flashes.
Especially to Romick, a 6-foot-4 biology major who is on course to graduate at the end of the summer session.
A Marietta native, Romick knows what it's like to spend a lot of time in the hospital as a kid. Romick, 22, had asthma as a baby. When he was 4, leaks and blockages were discovered near his heart that required long stays in Columbus Children's Hospital for tests. He still goes in for tests each year.
''It's no fun for the kids and it's even more of a struggle for the parents when you have a kid in the hospital,'' said Romick, who was named after former Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg. ''I can remember going in for long stretches three to four times each year and it really took a toll on my parents.
''That's the main reason I'm always eager to visit the kids. I like to talk to the kids because I know what they're going through, especially when they've been in a long time. They lose the feeling of privacy over time. It's tough on them.
''And the bottom line is it's just not supposed to be happening . . . at this age in their lives. It's tough to understand that as an adult, and it's even tougher to understand it as a kid. I just hope we make them feel better and forget about their problems for a little while.''
10 players visit
The University of Akron and Kent State University both sent five players along with their head coaches to visit children at Children's Hospital Monday afternoon.
The 10 players split into two mixed groups and visited nearly 40 kids in the general patient sections and in the hematology/oncology unit, where they visited about 10 cancer patients.
The Zips distributed small rubber stress balls — ''The way our season is going, we have a lot of these on hand,'' said one player for the Zips (14-27) — and mini plastic batting helmets.
The Flashes brought their mascot.
Kent State University coach Scott Stricklin, who brought the idea north from his days as an assistant at Georgia Tech, is optimistic that the game will reach new heights in attendance and proceeds.
''We had just under a thousand the first year, 2,000 last year and this year we're hoping to have about 5,000 at the game,'' said Stricklin, whose Flashes (32-9, 13-4) lead the MAC East Division.
''I'm hoping we have a great crowd, but we realize most of it will be walk-up and that means the weather will have a lot to do with determining how big the crowd gets.
''Even though it's not a conference game, it's got a lot going for it. It's another game against our biggest rival, it's going to be played in a beautiful professional park and, at the end of the day, we'll be handing what we hope is a very large check to Akron Children'sHospital.''
$30,000 goal
Stricklin said the game raised $6,000 the first year and $26,000 last year.
''We're shooting to raise $30,000 this year,'' Akron coach Pat Bangtson said.
The hospital's special events coordinator, Sara Lundenberger, said that the proceeds from 2007 and 2008 went to the hospital's general fund, but this year's proceeds are targeted for school health services to provide nurses for Akron Public Schools and other area schools.
Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 10:32 AM, 04/29/2009
good grief...dont scare the kids with that ugly mascot. What kind of bird has teeth?
