Thursday, April 1, 2010

Pay It Forward

May I please have a McChicken sandwich, a chipotle BBQ chicken wrap, and a medium vanilla milkshake?  That right there, ladies and gentlemen, is my go-to order when I pull up to a McDonald's drive-thru window.  And as we approach this first Monday of April, I am more excited about it then I have ever been.

Now, given that I've got a half-marathon coming up on May 2nd, I have no intention of eating McDonald's until I wake up from my post-race collapse.  That being said, why then would I  be excited about my McDonald's order on Monday, April 5th?  The answer is - I am excited about my order because of what I will be doing with it.

This Monday, many of Major League Baseball's teams will kick off their home schedules with Opening Day festivities.  Opening Day is one of the most popular days on the sports calendar because it is a fresh start, a clean slate for all teams.  It is the sign that Spring has sprung, and every team, even the Washington Nationals, are mathematically tied for first place on Opening Day.  I am excited to say that I will be attending my first Opening Day game ever, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where the Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Los Angeles Dodgers.  I am excited for the atmosphere, the excitement, the energy, the weather, and everything in between.  Again though, I remain equally as excited about my McDonald's order.

Opening Day is likely to be the one day in the entire 162-game season where every game will be a sell-out, meaning that there will be a maximum amount of people flocking to baseball stadiums, this Monday. 

Since moving to Pittsburgh this past August, I have developed a running course that often takes me over the Roberto Clemente (6th Street) Bridge, and past PNC Park.  When the weather was good, and a few times when it was bad, I would notice less fortunate, potentially homeless individuals sitting on the bridge asking for some donations.  Some of them entertained with instruments, and others just greeted you with a smile, hoping for some help.  Every time I ran by, I had nothing but my I-Pod, and I always felt bad about having nothing to offer.  And so I decided that this Monday, when I am walking across the bridge to the ballpark, for an experience that is likely to make my day - I will take my favorite meal from McDonald's with me, and give it to the first needy person I see on that bridge...in hopes of making their day.

It's perhaps ironic that I will have the opportunity to "pay it forward" on a bridge that was named after a man who knew how to pay it forward with the best of them.  For those of you who don't know, Roberto Clemente, though famous for his on-field accomplishments, was even more famous for the way he left this world - in a plane crash, while flying to deliver supplies to the needy.  And so in the spirit of Roberto Clemente, and in light of the fact that so many people will be walking across streets and bridges alike to arrive at their Opening Day destination - I ask and encourage all fans reading this, who plan to attend an Opening Day game this Monday, to make it a day of paying it forward.  On your way to the ballpark, stop at McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, KFC, or even your favorite local pizza place, grab your favorite meal, and then when you get close to the stadium, spot the person that needs the food more than you do, and pay it forward.

Still need convincing? Well, there's no better way to save yourself some calories then by making someone's day.  And odds are, in giving up that favorite meal of yours to someone who really needs it, you will probably enjoy that meal more than you ever have.

So please take the time to pay it forward this Monday, and "be the difference." Thank you.