As part of a Starlight Children’s Foundation fundraiser, the organization accepts bids to throw the first pitch. Ryan's father won the bid, allowing him to join Ernesto Martinez – a 9-year-old Yonkers boy who entered remission a year ago after battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia since 2009 – on the pitcher’s mound.
Ernesto, along with more than 300 seriously ill children who spend a significant portion of their lives in hospitals and clinics, was treated to the baseball game on June 11. It was part of the Starlight Children’s “Great Escapes” program, courtesy of the Mets, which donated 800 tickets for the event, and ARAMARK, which provided catering in the Bullpen Plaza.
The Starlight Children’s Foundation NY*NJ*CT is a division of the international nonprofit organization that helps seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities.
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