When the baseball teams from St. Mary’s High School and Westfield Technical Academy came together last season, it was not just to play a game. Players from the two teams and their coaches, St. Mary’s Bill Lamirande and Westfield Tech’s Bob Eak, joined forces for a greater cause – to give back.
Both teams had decided to donate proceeds of ticket, T-shirt, and raffle sales to support cancer care, unbeknownst to each other. When Bill and Bob reached out to let one another know, the two coaches decided to support the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care.
The decision hit home, as Bill’s father-in-law was in the midst of battling cancer at the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care and multiple players on his team had family members who had been effected by the disease. Since both teams were from Westfield, the crowd swelled, with more than 200 attendees. At the end of the evening, the teams had raised $3,020 for cancer care – all of which stays local.
“We chose to support the D’Amour Center because it helps people locally who are treated here. It gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling to know that you’re helping not only your family, but other families that we know,” shared Bill’s wife, Kim Lamirande.
“That’s what’s wonderful about keeping it local – you can see these people out in the public who may be benefiting from what you just did,” added Bill.
Learn how you can support cancer services at Baystate Health through the Baystate Health Foundation.