Celebrity Softball Look Back
Cloudy skies and rainy weather did not stop a near sell out crowd from coming out to Wild Things Park and enjoying some celebrity softball to benefit the The Cameron Heyward Foundation last weekend.
As celebrities in both dugouts enjoyed beers and friendly conversation, we were able to speak with Miles Sanders, Cam Heyward and Adam Rank about the importance of the event and how they enjoyed their afternoon.
During the second inning we caught up with Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders, who was sitting on the bench waiting for his turn to step in the batter’s box. As Miles talked about the importance of supporting Heywards event, he expressed how athletes need to use their platform to give back.
“Yeah, I got a foundation too and you know we are all just trying to do stuff for the community and give back using our platform and you know whatever it is I can do to help it and be a part of that I’ll do it no matter what player it is,” Sanders said. "[My foundation is called] the Dream Foundation. [It's] basically just about focusing on the youth and teaching them financial literacy, teaching them stuff to do and keeping them busy. I want to do a YMCA-type of facility where you come get a tutor, play football, play basketball and do all types of stuff."
After talking with Sanders, we stopped outside the dugout to speak with Cameron Heyward, the defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers and founder of the Heyward House. He talked about how fun it was to play softball.
“I think it's fun: softball is a fun, athletic sport that anyone can be a part of not like football where you need a lot of equipment and you gotta worry about the hitting," said Heyward. "This is fun and everybody gets a kick out of it.”
While we talked, Heyward explained the impact his foundation is having.
“My foundation is a tool I use to give back and I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of great people be a part of our foundation and it has let us to do some amazing things and I can't be more thankful about that," said Heyward. "I can't be more excited about the way we continue to go.”
As we finished our conversation Heyward expressed his appreciation for the fans coming out.
“I’m just thankful for the people who've come out. You know it's a Saturday night. We get a lot of rowdy fans and I’m just appreciative of every single guy and gal that comes out here to support us," he said. "We love coming out here, my friends and teammates, they all do an amazing job to give back but the fans really make it worth it.”
To end off the fun-filled event the sun shined and a rainbow came out from behind the clouds just over the left field fence in the fifth inning and shedding light on the packed stadium. Team Burgh took the win this year 16-6 over Team World.
At the conclusion of the game, we caught up with NFL Network Analyst Adam Rank as he was unwinding from the event and reminiscing on the day.
“It was fun and it was a great afternoon…it was a great experience and everybody was world class and it was everything you would want when you think about celebrity softball games," said Rank. "Outside of going 0-3, it was a great time.”
We asked Rank what his thoughts were about Heyward’s event and foundation.
“You know one of the things I really love about what Cam does is donating suits and so I’ve got a closet full of suits and Cam and I are going to connect and I’m going to send a bunch of my old personalized suits out to him,” he said. “It's really good to think locally and act globally and able to give back to the local community. Obviously what he has done in the Pittsburgh area is pretty significant. Whatever I can do to help out, I would love to do.”
Full of smiling faces and anxious fans to meet the famous personalities that were playing softball, it was a relaxing event that came with something for everyone to enjoy. If you or someone you know would like to support Heyward’s cause, you can donate by visiting www.thecameronheywardfoundation.org/donate. We look forward to hosting the next Celebrity Softball Game in 2024!
