Baseball writers host LI kids withcancer

They pulled up to the Hilton New York in a limo bus, dressed sharply in suits and evening gowns.

Once inside the swanky Manhattan hotel's grand ballroom, they were seated at tables 1 and 2 at the front of the room, where former Yankees Bernie Williams, Joe Torre and other stars flocked to chat with them.

But these weren't celebrities getting the VIP treatment at Saturday's annual dinner for the New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. They were young cancer patients from Long Island.

"It was worth dressing up for, and I don't think I'll ever forget it," said Zachary Sheikh, 10, diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer two years ago. The Shirley resident, who had topped his suit with a Mets cap, was ecstatic to meet Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey.

Zachary and 15 others treated on the pediatric oncology wards of Stony Brook Long Island Children's Hospital and Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park were guests of Stephen Hirsch, a youth baseball coach from Glenwood Landing with an eight-year tradition of escorting children and young adults with cancer to the prestigious banquet and awards ceremony.

"The intent is to give a child a significant distraction so they forget what they have" for at least one night, said Hirsch, 60, who over the years has purchased many of the $225 tickets himself and secured donations from neighbors and colleagues to ensure as many children as possible could attend.

Hirsch's first invitation to the event about 12 years ago coincided with the tragic news that a friend's son had a brain tumor. He left that year's dinner with an autograph from Tom Glavine for the boy. "I got choked up and promised God I would help kids with cancer for as long as I lived," Hirsch said.

True to his word, Hirsch attended a bone marrow drive last fall for Jake Amato, an 8-year-old from Farmingdale who has lived half his life with leukemia.

Jake was there Saturday, dressed in a tuxedo, for what his mother said was the boy's first big outing since a grueling transplant in September.

"He had a fantastic time. I've haven't seen him this happy in so long," Debbie Amato said. Jake hung out with baseball legend Willie Mays, who let the third-grader wear his World Series championship ring, she said.

Meeting Yankee Robinson Cano and his other heroes Saturday was worth the wait, Bocella said. "It's nice to see everyone smiling and excited," he said of the younger attendees in his group.

Lauren Sharaby, a chaperone and child life specialist with Stony Brook Children's, lauded Hirsch and the writers association officials.

"This is an experience they'll never forget," Sharaby said. "These are the kids that deserve to be here the most."