Downers Grove Baseball Team Steps Up To Plate For Tornado Victims

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A group of seventh-grade baseball players recently joined forces with a Downers Grove business to provide meals and care packages to help seniors and other area residents "keep going" in the aftermath of the devastating June 20 tornado.

Anthony Davini, 12, of Downers Grove, who plays for the local Longshots Baseball, told Patch he and his mom, Angelina, started looking for ways to help tornado victims the day after the storm hit. “Ever since the tornado, we’ve kind of just had the idea to go and help people," Anthony said.

The Davinis came across a social media post from Low-Carb Kitchen, LLC, looking for volunteers to deliver free, hot meals to tornado victims. Angelina contacted Low-Carb Kitchen's owner, Shannon Castaneda, and arranged for a group of boys from Longshots Baseball to help deliver the meals.

Castaneda, who lives in Woodridge, said she "had to do something" when she learned her neighbors were hurting. Castaneda, a mother of five, told Patch, she can't help but give to others. “We were in a position where we needed help before. Now we help people when we can," she said.

The boys helped ferry Castaneda's hot meals and care packages to seniors who live in a condominium in Downers Grove's Lake in the Woods subdivision. Davini told Patch the building's elevator and electricity were out and many of the senior residents do not drive, leaving them with limited resources.

The baseball players also made deliveries to tornado victims at Thomas Jefferson Junior High School in Woodridge, and residents in Darien's Woodmere subdivision who had been "deeply impacted" by the tornado, Angelina Davini said.

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Davini told Patch boys from Longshots —including Conor Grimm, Luke Oestermeyer, Mason Almazan, Liam Nugent and Aiden Gremchuk— also helped gather and drop off more than 150 pounds of food, water and supplies to the Red Cross and West Suburban Community Pantry.

Rob Rooney, founder and president of Longshots Baseball, has lived in Downers Grove for 42 years and was also deeply shaken by how the tornado affected his neighbors. He told Patch he was proud to see the team step up amid the "devastating" damage, but he was not surprised.

“Kids lined up right away," Rooney said, "Some knew people who were impacted and some didn’t.”

With the help of Low-Carb Kitchen, LLC, this group of 12-year-old boys made a meaningful difference in the lives of their neighbors.

Conor Grimm, 12, who helped with the deliveries, told Patch, “When we gave out the meals, all the senior citizens had a smile on their faces, and they kept saying thank you, so it was very heartwarming."

Patch asked Grimm if he had any words to share with the area's tornado victims.

He responded, “I just want to say keep going. Don’t give up. And just know that a lot of people will help you get through this.”

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