After a week-long tournament in British Columbia, a baseball team from the Dominican Republic found themselves stranded as Hurricane Maria moves across the Caribbean.
Thanks to the kindness of a Toronto woman and Canada’s baseball team, the players were given a grand slam opportunity.
The players, from the Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago (UTESA), had been playing in Kamloops prior to arriving in Toronto.
READ MORE: Hurricane Maria takes aim at Puerto Rico ‘with a force and violence’
On Tuesday morning, Rachel Ramnarain posted a plea to the Toronto Blue Jays Tickets (2017) Facebook page.
“I am looking for a miracle! There is a university baseball team from the Dominican Republic that is stuck in Toronto…because of the oncoming hurricane, they are delayed in Toronto via their connection (sic) flight until Friday,” the post read.
Ramnarain went on to write that the men were left without lodging, but she was fortunate enough to be able to ‘house and feed the dozen.’ She said she was able to find the team accommodations using Airbnb.
LIVE BLOG: Tracking Hurricane Maria’s path
“I cannot afford to entertain them for four nights as well. They travelled with little money not expecting this at all. I’m hoping to add a few hours of fun into this rough situation,” Ramnarain wrote.
“Are there any trusted sellers with dirt cheap tickets? Seven to 11 seats in a row or staggered in two rows that they can chat to each other?”
Ramnarain received more than replies from other page subscribers. She garnered interest from social media users on multiple platforms. From there, word spread quickly to the Toronto Blue Jays.
A short time later, the organization reached out and invited the players to batting practice and Tuesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.
READ MORE: Feds urge Canadians to register, make travel arrangements ahead of storm
In an email statement to Global News, Toronto Blue Jays spokesperson Sebastian Gatica said the support “is a great reminder of the kindness” of fans and residents.
“(It’s) hard to imagine what these players are going through and the uncertainty of their situation back home,” he wrote.
“From one baseball community to another, we’re thankful to be able to be part of a positive experience for these aspiring players and give them the opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world compete first-hand.”
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