Hats Off to the Cats & a Little Champion’s Big Heart
What a night at Port Arthur Stadium this past Saturday! It was “Country Night” at the Thunder Bay Border Cats game, and if the team wasn’t feeling good about being back home after a tough road trip, they certainly were after their 9-7 win over the visiting Eau Claire Express!
The atmosphere was electric, even with Mother Nature trying to throw a wrench in the works. We had a bit of a rain delay, and yes, for those of you who were there, you actually witnessed some classic ‘tarp baseball’ – pretty wild to see!
And let’s give a massive shout-out to the entire Border Cats team, because it literally took every single player to roll up that massive tarp after the rain passed! Talk about teamwork!
But the entertainment didn’t stop, thanks to the incredible local band The Selfies! They were absolutely amazing, keeping the energy high and the crowd rocking, even through the thunder and lightning!
Then came a truly heartwarming moment that stole the show. Our little Country 105 contest winner, 7-year-old Wyatt Eluik, stepped up to the mound. Wyatt was nominated by his grandmother, Debbie, for our “Pitch Your Kid to Pitch” contest, and he won the incredible chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch!
And boy, did he deliver! You could hear the excitement from the crowd as they cheered him on – they loved it! Wyatt’s pitching was fantastic, drawing impressed “wows” from the crowd. He also earned big smiles and thanks when he helped Dee from Country 105 Mornings hand out hats and shirts to the cheering fans. It was clearly a dream come true for him, and seeing his face light up was fantastic. He truly loves and plays baseball, and honestly, we wouldn’t be surprised if we see him in a Border Cats jersey himself one day!
But Wyatt’s story gets even better. This incredible young man isn’t just a great pitcher; he’s a true community hero. Instead of birthday gifts, Wyatt asked for cash donations for the Terry Fox Foundation, and he managed to raise an astounding $1020! He then had the immense honor of donating that money directly to Darrell Fox, Terry Fox’s younger brother, right at the Terry Fox Monument on June 24th during Darrell’s National Ride of Hope.
What a night, what a game, and what an inspiring young man! Saturday was a powerful reminder of how our community, our teams, and our local heroes all come together to make Thunder Bay such a special place. Go Cats Go!
Photo: Megan Tenhave, Sherri Elliott – On-Field Co-Ordinator, Boomer & Dee
