Summertime Joys: Dr. Kirk Pitches at the Trop

August 25, 2011

Saint Leo University alumni, parents, faculty, staff and students filled Tropicana Field for the Tampa Bay Rays home game against the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, August 24. The evening got off to a big start with Saint Leo University President Arthur F. Kirk, Jr., throwing out the ceremonial first pitch during pre-game festivities. Dr. Kirk is also pictured with Rays relief pitcher Cesar Ramos (top) and with Detroit manager Jim Leyland.

Alumni, parents and friends of the university filled the Left Field Beach Bar Party Area, and enjoyed the unique vantage point of being on the field next to the visitors’ bullpen. Guests enjoyed food and beverages as well as an opportunity to visit the Saint Leo display case at the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame inside Tropicana Field.

In addition to the alumni seated in the Beach Bar, almost 100 faculty and staff members and a group of students packed the Trop, making it Leo-Land for the night. Check out photos from the event www.saintleo.edu/RaysvTigers.

The game was the second well-attended gathering hosted by the Saint Leo University Alumni Association in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area recently.

The first was a wine tasting hosted at the home of alumnus Mike Kwasin ’71 on August 17. Kwasin and Alumni Association Board member John Coleman ’72 welcomed alumni from across the decades, along with Saint Leo parents, faculty, and staff.

The Kwasin home provided the perfect venue for the event, as guests enjoyed breathtaking views of the sunset over Tampa Bay from his patio, and visited his wine cellar. The group sampled more than 40 premium wines, enjoyed food selections, rekindled old friendships and built networking relationships with others.

The event served as a fundraiser for the University’s Annual Fund, bringing in more than $4,000. Follow this link to photos from the www.saintleo.edu/WineTasting.