On a sunny August day Quincy YouthBuild students Matt Miller and Ryan Serafini joined with students from four other Boston Coalition YouthBuild in helping volunteers from the Red Sox Foundation, corporate sponsor Covidien and local building tradesmen update Brockton Veterans Hospital recreational facilities Building 23.
Miller says it was by far the best day of his life. He got to use skills he learned in the program and meet some of his favorite Red Sox players.
With Miller were YouthBuild Worksite Supervisor Nick Morganelli, Quincy Housing Authority Lead Carpenter Paul Curran, as well as TRA site manager Isabel Cobb, staff members Darcy Cordner, and Annette Owens and Miller’s mother, Debbie.
“Saturday's event was very rewarding. It was a privilege to take part along with the Red Sox Foundation and the Covidien volunteers. Everyone was energetic about helping the veterans and the current troops. It was a thrill of a lifetime to be part of such a wonderful event and very exciting to meet the Red Sox players,” said Cobb.
Some of the projects accomplished during the 6-hour event were: painting several interior and exterior doors; cleaning the patio and spreading gravel; cleaning pool area walls and heat grates; removing pool balcony theater seats to allow more storage; cleaning and painting the storage area; assembling and installing basketball court storage cages and painting cabinets; and replacing locker room storage cabinets.
On the baseball field and the surrounding courtyard, work included: planting shade trees by the field; leveling the pitcher’s mound; applying chicken grit to the field; installing a new home plate; water sealing and placing picnic tables; removing weeds; and applying mulch around the courtyard perimeter.
Meanwhile other volunteers assembled care packages for soldiers overseas.
In addition, as part of their program, the students had come to the hospital three times before the event to work on the building.
“One of the nicest things was how the veterans were impressed with and very appreciative of what the boys had done,” Cordner said.
