Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “,….. proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community….
Today is Tim Hortons Camp Day, the largest single-day fundraiser for Tims Camps.
Today, 100% of Tim Hortons hot and iced coffee, bracelet sales, and donations go to Tims Camps.
As a kid, I liked Summer Camp. I went to Camp Kitchi at Beausoleil Island one year, was a camper at Camp Manitomono at Sturgeon Bay for 4 years, and then was a counsellor there for 3 years afterward.
And I can verify that the benefits of Summer camp include self discovery.
One year when I was a counsellor, I had the powerhouse cabin, the Gators, for the week long co-ed softball tournament.
As expected, the kids in my cabin and their counterparts from the girls easily advanced to the Championship Final and were the heavy favorites.
But someone forgot to tell the opposition, the Buzzards, that they were supposed to be cannon fodder.
With the Gators at bat in the final inning, the Buzzards were clinging to a narrow 1 run lead.
I wasn’t worried, our best hitters were due up. Still the Buzzards refused to buckle and quickly got 2 outs.
I still wasn’t worried as our 12 year old power hitter, Bobby Bellows, was coming to the plate.
The Buzzards second baseman was Mark Robinson. Mark was awkward in every sense of the word, certainly not an athlete.
On the first pitch, Bobby Bellows lined a rocket towards right field. extra bases for sure, but Mark Robinson, in what could be best described as an instinctive miracle, stuck out his arm and the ball went smoking into his glove and stayed there for the final out.
I might be the only one who remembers the result of the Camp Manitomono Co-Ed Championship Softball Game of 1974.
And truthfully, I have no idea of what became of Mark Robinson, although I’m certain he never made it to the Majors.
What I won’t forget though is the look of shock and disbelief followed by utter joy on Mark Robinson’s face as he stared into the pocket of his glove after that amazing catch.
He did it. Against every pre-conceived notion, Mark Robinson caught the ball, and not just any ball, the ball that won the game for Mark & the Buzzards
Thanks for supporting Tim Hortons Camp Day.
For Pete’s Auto Body, I’m Fred Wallace.