metro .i;c:'az, Who should vottz %St win $20,000 010 for their arts project? You decide! Vote today for one of five local finalists in the Knight Arts Challenge People's Choice Award. earn more a ou each finalist at KnightArts.org/PeoplesChoice A project of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation RENAISSANCE A Full Service Custom Publishing House Cranbrook I Custom Banners How can we help you? Wall and Window Graphics Video Production Marketing Services Creative Services Editorial Services Pre-press Production Social Media Magazines Newspapers Corporate Identities Annual Reports Ad Campaigns Mail and postage Project Management Business Consulting Data Management Telemarketing Corporate Identity / Branding Contact Kevin Browett or Debbie Schultz 29200 Northwestern Hwy. • Suite 110 • Southfield, MI 48034 248.354.6060 10 July 18 • 2013 Field of Dreams from page 8 Trust tts• Team that nrats yours : Onity MGMAGRAND DETROIT SUNOCO Benny Wasserman was welcomed to Comerica Park on the outfield scoreboard. life. "All I was interested in was base- ball and hated school;' Wasserman said. "My love of reading started when my friend sent me a special book for a wedding present" That friend was six- term U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. Benny and Fernie, now married for 54 years, raised three sons while he built a career as an aerospace techni- cian, eventually working his way up to management. Wasserman also loved volunteer- ing his time with teenagers through CASA — Court Appointed Special Advocate — where he would commit his time to one teenager for a year. He learned that the teen years were when kids were most at risk and needed a mentor to motivate them to succeed in life. In 2008, he published a book, Presidents Were Teenagers, Too, which speaks to adolescents about never giving up in life. He retired in 1992, and "acciden- tally became a professional Albert Einstein impersonator:' he said. For the past 19 years he has been mak- ing commercials worldwide while also performing in films, TV and at conventions and corporate parties. He volunteers at Camp Harmony, a charitable organization for disadvan- taged children. But his lost dreams of playing base- ball never really went away. "Only my wife knows how emotional I get whenever we pass by a baseball dia- mond," he said. A Day To Remember After taking the field with the Tigers during practice, Wasserman contin- ued making his dreams come true at Comerica Park. "On the concourse at the stadium, I was able to take batting practice with balls coming at me at 60 miles per hour," he said. "With both my sons videotaping all my movements, a crowd formed to see this 79-year- old wannabe baseball player connect with nine out of 10 balls that came at me. They were so impressed that they clapped and cheered me on. It was something I never dreamed would ever happen." Prior to the game that night between the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Angels, Wasserman was able to take pictures with the stat- ues of Hall of Fame Detroit Tigers like Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Hal Newhouser, Mickey Cochrane, Charlie Gehringer and a few others. 'Although the Tigers lost the game that night, it was such a pleasure to `root, root, root for the home team' it really didn't matter:' he said. "There is such joy in just being there and supporting the team. There is nothing like getting caught up in the game!' While he was in Detroit, Wasserman was able to go back to his roots at 3794 Webb. 'Although the house no longer exists, it still brought back memories of my first 20 years in that home. It was on this street and empty lots that I played so much baseball," he said. Wasserman got to visit for the first time Hebrew Memorial Cemetery in Clinton Township where his mother, Molly Beidner, is buried as well as his older sister, Gloria Wasserman, who died of spinal meningitis at age 2. He and his family also visited the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. "The memory of this day will live on with me for the rest of my life Wasserman said. "I am now com- mitted to going to the batting cage at least once a week back where I live in Southern California:' ❑ For information about the Wish of a Lifetime organization, visit www.seniorwish.org.