Gwinnett Braves players took a time off from baseball Monday for fishing and fellowship with the youngsters at Eagle Ranch children’s home in Hall County.
The players joined the youngsters at Eagle Ranch’s 10-acre lake, enjoying the surprisingly cool and overcast weather. Pitcher Todd Redmond took rod and reel in hand and said the fishing and meeting the young residents was a welcome break from the mound.
“Any time you get out and fish is a fun time, especially coming out and fishing with the kids,” Redmond said. “It helps everybody, it helps get my mind off baseball and helps the kids more than anything.”
Eagle Ranch girls had an arts and crafts session with wives and family members of some of the players during the once a year visit. Wes Timmons, Matt Young, Cory Gearrin, Vladimir Nunez and Scott Proctor were other Gwinnett Braves players who came out to visit.
Eagle Ranch assistant councilor Greg Owens said the visit was about relationship building, and building character.
“A lot of the stuff we work on is building character through sports and participation and team activities,” Owens said.
Owens said around 64 boys and girls from eight to 18 years of age now reside at the ranch, set up in 1985 on a 270 campus in south Hall County to provide help to children in crisis with counseling and education.
Link to original story by Jerry Gunn.