Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks warmed up hours before a game against the Los Angeles Angels. A buzz already filled Tropicana Field. The day after the big announcement that the Rays will stay in St. Pete and get a new stadium, Fairbanks readied to reveal another big surprise.
He just had to wait for the students to get there.
Pete joined his wife, Lydia in the dugout. He put down his glove and they sat on the bench for a quick interview. They were all smiles as they reminisced about how they met as students at Mizzou in a class called Acting for Nonmajors. They talked about their young children, Isak and Lotte. Pete teased about Lydia’s love of the show “Beat Bobby Flay.” Laughter comes easily to the couple.
Pete and Lydia Fairbanks sit for a portrait in the Rays dugout at Tropicana Field. (Scott Purks/Poynter)
They both grew up in supportive environments, with their parents encouraging their passions.
Lydia started playing volleyball when she was 8. Pete discovered his love of basketball and baseball at a young age. He distinctly remembers his mother, who played basketball growing up, watching him out the window at the basketball hoop in their driveway.
“After school, she’d be inside, cooking or cleaning,” he said. “She would just randomly yell at me out the window to square my feet up.”
Both of their mothers are retired teachers. Lydia’s mom, Cheryl, taught middle school math. Pete’s mom, Jane, taught fourth grade. Education has always keyed their success, they said. The couple grew up in the Midwest, where helping others comes naturally.
When Pete and Lydia heard about a local writing and mentoring program at the Poynter Institute, The Write Field, they wanted to show support. The program helps Black and Hispanic young men in middle and high schools improve their writing skills, as they get coaching from seasoned journalists. Students work hard to prepare for their future as they learn the power of storytelling and public speaking.
“I love that it’s something after school, so the kids are choosing to do it,” Lydia said. “We both really value education.”
After the couple learned more about the program and how much the kids love sneakers, they hatched a plan to reward the students as part of the Rays Players and Families initiative. Word spread throughout the clubhouse. Other Rays players, also sneakerheads, wanted in on the surprise. They invited the students to the ballpark and planned an Oprah Show-style big reveal.
“Are the kids here yet?” Lydia asked. Everything was set and ready. The time drew near.
The Write Field students watched batting practice. They met their heroes on the Rays roster. One by one, the players emerged from the clubhouse and greeted the young men with handshakes and fist bumps. They signed autographs on hats and jerseys. Mikal Morris, an 11th grader who plays catcher and outfield for Lakewood High, asked Brandon Lowe and Pete Fairbanks to sign his batting gloves.
Rays pitchers Robert Stephenson and Colin Poche sign autographs for the students. (Courtesy: Davida Franklin/Tampa Bay Rays)
After about an hour of the players answering questions, posing for selfies and group photos, it was time for the big surprise. Pete, the 6-foot-6 kid at heart, couldn’t help but smile as he addressed the group and shared the news. Everyone would be getting an awesome new pair of sneakers. A personalized effort, months in the making, the shoes were hand-selected and purchased by the players, coaches and staff.
Students made their way to the second floor, where Lydia Fairbanks and Reilly McGlumphy from the Rays community engagement team had set up a gift table stretching the length of the room. Some of the players had already snuck up to the room ahead of the group. They wanted to see the reactions for themselves.
The shoes, backpacks and cards from the players were set out neatly ahead of the surprise. (Courtesy: Davida Franklin/Tampa Bay Rays)
Ernest Hooper and Demorris Lee, co-directors of The Write Field, asked the students to find their names and stand in front of their gifts. On the count of three, the students opened their shoes. As they caught glimpses of their Nike Dunks, Air Jordans and more, they were ecstatic. A chain reaction of “Wow! Cool! Awesome!” erupted throughout the room.
Write Field student Darren Gooding reacts after seeing his new shoes. (Courtesy: Davida Franklin/Tampa Bay Rays)
The students also received New Era backpacks, Nike polos with the Rays logo and an autographed postcard with a special message from their Ray. As they began to put on their new shoes and backpacks, they beamed. They knew something special had just happened and they loved it.
Daniel Puga, a Safety Harbor Middle School eighth grader, had dreamed of new shoes in his favorite colors. Not only did the colors of his new shoes match his dreams, but the style was spot on. “This was the exact shoe I wanted,” he said.
Twin brothers Matthew and Malachi Bradbury showed each other their shoes. The 11th graders both play football at St. Pete Catholic High: Matthew a defensive end and Malachi an outside linebacker.
Mikal Morris looks on as Malachi and Matthew Bradbury check out their new shoes. (Scott Purks/Poynter)
“My shoes are navy blue, white and black,” Matthew said. “I am already wearing them. These are also colors that support the Rays, too.”
Malachi called the experience “absolutely amazing — a blessing. I’m very appreciative.”
Thurgood Marshall Middle 7th grader Evan Matheney echoed the students’ gratitude for the gifts.
“Shoes are a lot of money,” Evan said. “It was very generous that they would do that for the group. I left feeling really happy.”
The Rays players hope this experience will motivate the students and encourage them to continue putting their best foot forward.
“Hopefully it’s something the students will remember for a long time,” Pete Fairbanks said.
Special thanks to the Rays players, coaches, staff and their families who helped make this experience possible:
Jason Adam, Shawn Armstrong, Peter Bendix, Aaron Civale, Garrett Cleavinger, Jake Diekman, Zach Eflin, Pete Fairbanks, Tyler Glasnow, Andrew Kittredge, Zack Littell, Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe, Shane McClanahan, Colin Poche, Luke Raley, Erasmo Ramírez, Drew Rasmussen, Kyle Snyder, Jeffrey Springs, Robert Stephenson and Reilly McGlumphy.
More about The Write Field program:
The Write Field is a local writing and mentoring program serving Black and Hispanic young men, in middle and high schools in Pinellas County. This free, academic yearlong program, now in its 13th year, was created by the Poynter Institute in partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays Foundation. The program gives the young men a chance to explore their world and the craft of writing. They meet on the second Saturday of each month during the school year, with each session themed to explore a specific topic such as poetry, writing for comic books, hip-hop music and public speaking. They write about their lives, their neighborhoods, their cultural values and sports. To date, the program has served more than 430 young men, helping to improve their writing and public speaking skills, grow their confidence and boost academic success.
Founded by Dr. Karen B. Dunlap in 2011 to address the achievement gap in local schools, the program now continues under the guidance of co-leaders Ernest Hooper and Demorris Lee, along with Poynter’s director of donor engagement Andrew DeLong, Bailey LeFever, city editor, TBAYtoday and Matt Lacombe, freelance writer and author.
Visit poynter.org/writefield to learn more about the program. For more information, please email adelong@poynter.org.
