A group of Sarnia girls will take in a Blue Jays playoff game from a luxury suite thanks in part to a nationwide social media campaign.
The Girls at Bat program at High Park Public School features 31 girls aged nine to 12. The initiative, sponsored by the Jays Care Foundation, provided participants with equipment and lessons during an 18-week period this year.
Teacher and Coach Kelly-Anne Lemieux said recently, the girls were offered a luxury box for the first game of the Jays postseason Friday, and that not long after, the tickets were taken away from them.
Lemieux said they then took to social media and Jays Care took to the phone.
"It sounds like Jays Care also wanted these girls to have this opportunity, and after many hours and I think a lot of social media presence, we were actually told that we would be able to have our event and go to the game in a box."
Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell shared a post from Tara Jeffrey of the Sarnia Journal detailing the situation with the Sarnia girls. Within an hour, the situation was resolved following a matter of miscommunication.
"It was crazy, it really, really was," said Lemieux. "As much as I laugh, we said it went viral and my 16-year-old laughed at me and said 'no, that's not viral' -- but in our eyes as adults, I really didn't expect it to grow as quickly as it did, and to get some of these celebrities within the sports domain was huge and amazing."
Lemieux said the girls were thrilled to find out that the trip was back on.
"We called them all in and explained what had happened, and that a voice as small as somebody here in Sarnia is heard, even in the big city, and they were just trying to make a wrong a right," she said. "We're very appreciative with having this opportunity and working hand-in-hand with Jays Care. It's been an amazing experience."
Lemieux said she started Girls at Bat in March after being approached by Jays Care in 2021.
"With the hope of having a dozen or so girls show up to my first practice, I had over 30. For twice a week for 18 weeks they put in really hard work learning the fundamentals of baseball."
https://twitter.com/HighParkSarnia/status/1578098435924037633
