Family Night at Paw Sox Raises Money For Home + Hospice Care of RI

Family Night at Paw Sox Raises Money For Home + Hospice Care of RI

Liam Greene, a nine-year-old little-leaguer from Mansfield, MA, got the treat of a lifetime when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the PawSox game against the Rochester Rockets earlier this month.

Greene had never been on the field at a professional baseball game before. And he’d never met a professional player. But that didn’t stop his delight at the opportunity.

“I was excited and nervous,” said Liam. “But I loved it! It made me feel very special.”

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The Pawsox game was a fundraiser for Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island (HHCRI),  an event that featured baseball, a barbecue, music, raffle prizes, and a silent auction of New England sports memorabilia. In the end, the PawSox lost to Rochester, but HHCRI came out a winner.

“We are grateful for the generosity and support of so many people who make it possible for us to provide such outstanding programs and services to our patients and their families,” said Diana Franchitto, president and CEO at Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island.

The opportunity to participate in the fundraiser was extra special for Greene, as HHCRI is the agency that cared for Liam’s father, Michael, who died last winter from malignant melanoma not long after returning from deployment in Afghanistan with the US Army. One of more than 4,000 patients for whom HHCRI will provide care this year, the elder Greene is survived by his wife, Kate, and two sons, Liam and Owen.

After being diagnosed inAugust 2011, an 18-month journey followed of doctors’ visits, surgeries, treatments, hospitalizations, and eventually HHCRI’s Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center, where he and his family received compassionate care.

“I could not have asked for more support, for more help,” said Kate Greene. “Honestly, they took good care of me, too. It wasn’t just him. They are blessings.”

For more information on Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island, call 401-414-4200 or visit www.hhcri.org, their Facebook page, or Twitter.