It was superhero night at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip on June 20.
While fictional heroes Spider-Man and Captain America were both present for the evening, the real heroes were in the concourse wearing red shirts rather than capes. The people in red were representatives of Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, at the ballpark for their annual health and safety expo.
Dr. Carolyn Milana, Stony Brook’s Physician-in Chief, expressed her appreciation for the Ducks hosting them, saying, “We love having our night here, a lot of our faculty and staff are here, as well as all the kids from the community and it’s nice to see everybody walking around in their Stony Brook Children’s capes!” Stony Brook focuses on a variety of kids safety issues including sun safety, pool safety, swimming safety, and is expanding. “We’re in the middle of building a new pediatric emergency department,” said Milana, “One of the things we’re adding to that space is a trauma base for kids that we would rather not use.”
While a ballpark in Long Island is just about as kid-friendly as a place can be, Stony Brook understands that the doctor’s office can be a scary place for children. Therefore, as new additions to their expo this year, Stony Brook added informational tables on surgical subspecialities, orthopedic injuries, and casting. This comes in an effort to, according to Milana, “make doctor visits a little less scary for kids.” You can schedule an appointment with Stony Brook Children’s Hospital by calling 631-444-KIDS.
On the field, the Ducks were superheroes too, overcoming early inning obstacles to rally and win in a shootout in the final game of a three game series against the Staten Island FerryHawks, 6-4. Three time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants Pablo Sandoval helped to get Staten Island ahead with a homerun in the first inning. The Ducks’ eventual comeback was spearheaded by Tyler Dearden and Alex McGarry. McGarry ended the night with four hits and three RBIs, while Dearden ended a triple shy of the cycle and three RBIs of his own.
The atmosphere was a joyous one with kids taking air bat practice wings in capes, and Stony Brook helping out in their community. Even when the Ducks were down a few runs early on, Long Island local Thurman Jordan said it was still a pretty “chill” atmosphere, considering the circumstances. The Ducks have provided a haven for MLB stars like Jackie Bradley Jr., Daniel Murphy, and Rich Hill in the past. For about ten years now with their partnership with Stony Brook, they continue to be a haven for children too, helping them to have fun and remain safe in their community.
