Downtown Little League

Dear Don: On behalf of the Downtown Little League, thank you so much for arranging Ron Darling’s appearance at Saturday’s Opening Day festivities.

The parade actually arrived to the fields a little late this year, so I had to rearrange the schedule a bit, yet Ron was unfazed and more than accommodating. Wearing his brand new DLL hat, he stood next to Mr. Met to greet the parade, posing for photos and signing autographs, then accompanied me to the South Field to applaud the many speeches by the League Organizers, local politicians, etc.

The line for his autograph stretched to the gate and stayed that way for most of the time he sat, signing with his beautiful handwriting anything that was pushed his way- baseballs, gloves, DLL hats, shirts, baseball cards, etc. As I stood next to him, helping move the line along with requests for photos and autographs, I was amazed by his dedication to each person who stood in front of him. He was especially attentive to special needs kids who approached him, which brought tears to my eyes. He answered every question and comment- “what team did you play for?” “what was your fastest pitch?” “do you know Darryl Strawberry?” “I saw you in “Shallow Hal!” with a smile on his face.

I don’t know what else to say, except maybe I’ve never met a person who was so aptly named as “Darling!”

Please thank him again for his time- our day was an amazing success, largely in part to his presence. And thank you again for making it happen.

All the best,
Diane

"I was thoroughly impressed with your professionalism and kindness. Thanks to you, the party was an incredibly wonderful experience for everyone. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!"
Russ Schulman, Manhattan Youth

"Thank you, Diane, for all your great help with this party—I know we're a motley crew and you really rolled with it all, with grace, humor, aplomb—and reassurance. You made it fun."
Maria Reidelbach, Art Director, Manhattan Youth