Owls put day off to good use
6/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 19, 2007
The top-ranked Rice baseball team may have had a well-deserved day off from games and practice Monday afternoon at the College World Series, but the Owls ended up having one of their busiest and certainly most rewarding days yet as invited guests at The Omaha Home For Boys.
In a meeting arranged by the Lions Club of Omaha, Rice baseball spent the better part of the day at The Omaha Home For Boys, interacting with the young residents who originally came to the facility without any family members but now live, go to school, church and play organized sports as part of a diverse and expanded family.
The Owls first saw a short film about The Home and exchanged gifts. The players and coaches then took a tour of the facility before playing some various games in the home's recreation center. The residents had seen Rice win both of its first two games at the College World Series on television and were keen to get the Owls' autographs.
"Today was awesome," said Rice junior pitcher Bobby Bramhall. "Just when you thought a trip to the College World Series couldn't get any better, winning games and being cheered by the friendly fans of Omaha, we met the young people here at The Home. Many of them probably have had a very tough start to life that I think a lot of us maybe take for granted.
"The kids are great," Bramhall added. "They are energetic, proud to be going to school, have great support system and have a positive outlook. Originally, I really liked the people of Omaha because I thought they were great college baseball fans. Now it's even more so because the Omaha community is who reaches out to help these kids."
The Omaha Home for Boys is dedicated to the mission of strengthening youth and families. The Home takes pride that a vast majority of the boys have gone on to become better husbands, fathers, and neighbors. The Home continues to be virtually 100 percent privately funded and does not charge a fee for services. Since being founded in 1920, more than 9,000 boys from every corner of the United States have come through its doors. The facility is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization and is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children (COA).
"When we first arrived a lot of the guys on the team didn't quite know what to expect," said sophomore second baseman Aaron Luna. "At the end it was hard to tell who was having a better time, the kids or the players. There are some families who live here as foster parents and they are doing a great job for these kids. Our hats are off to them for their work. This was a great day off, and one of the guys even mentioned about coming back if we get another day off in Omaha."
