Great Hearts Hits a Grand Slam with a Day Out at the D-Backs

It was a great day for a ballgame on Saturday, September 17^th, as 673 family members and friends of Great Hearts Academies from across the Valley and around the state made their way into Chase Field to cheer on the Arizona Diamondbacks for Great Hearts Day.  While our hometown team did not triumph over the San Diego Padres, with a final score of 2-0, it didn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance.  The roar of the crowd and the excitement from our scholars, staff, families, and friends filled 4 sections of the stadium that Great Hearts occupied.

This is not the first time the D-backs have teamed up with Great Hearts for this family event.  In preparation for the event, President and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks Derrick Hall said, “Looking forward to seeing lots of old friends at Great Hearts Day at Chase.  The Diamondbacks are huge supporters of Great Hearts and really happy to see that so many Great Hearts families are fans of the Diamondbacks!  We hope you have a great time at the game!”

And a great time was had by all who attended, but especially for those who entered and won special game-day experiences and prizes like viewing batting practice from the field, an on-field viewing of the National Anthem, and autographed and promotional items.

Jayce Moore, a seventh grader at Glendale Prep, won the title of ‘Honorary Team Captain’ and had the opportunity to walk onto the field with D-backs Manager Torey Lovullo to present the lineup card to the umpire.  “This is the best day of my life,” said Moore, who is a huge baseball fan.  “I got to meet the manager and some of the players and they all autographed my baseball.  It was so cool.”

It was a great crowd at Chase Field and all the extra festivities, music, and food made it a fantastic outing for all of our Great Hearts families.  While this not the first time the D-backs have teamed up with Great Hearts for this family event, we know it won’t be the last.  We look forward to next time.

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.