The Marlins Make Warrior Wishes Come True!
Typically when my dad is in Miami, he sleeps at the luxurious “airport hotel.” So after making Warrior Wishes come true at yesterday’s game, that’s where he headed. Since it wasan early 4:10 game, it gave him enough time to get some work done at Margaritaville in the airport before going to sleep. However, my dad said it was FREEZING at the airport, so he took advantage of beautiful Miami evening and walked out front of the airport to sleep on a park bench. If you’re wondering, he said it was much more comfortable than the overnight bus…
When the Metrobus opened at 7am, my dad headed over to Whole Foods to meet today’s Gold Star families. Interestly both guests today were the mother and brother of a fallen hero.
Beth and Ilan Agami were first to arrive – their son Army Spc Daniel Agami made the ultimate sacrifice in November of 2007. We had a few minutes to get to know each other, and learn about Daniel, before the family of Army PFC Marius Ferrero arrived.
Marius, AKA Mario, also made the ultimate sacrifice in 2007 and his brother Manny was our guest for Dolphins game in 2013. Manny runs a big softball tournament in honor of his brother every October here in Miami. This time Manny brought along his mom, Maribella, and 3 year old son Manny III – it was nice to have 3 generations of family honoring their fallen hero.
Whole Foods in Miami provided a delicious breakfast before we made a 2 mile drive down the street to Marlins Park. For the 2nd straight day, it was 95 degrees with an abundance of sunshine. A Beatiful day for a ballgame!
The Ferrero’s were big Marlins fans and attend a few games every year, while it this was the Agami’s first Marlins game ever. Both families had a great time watching the Marlins beat up on our hometown Cubbies 6-1.
The marlins went above and beyond to help us honor the legacy of these fallen heroes. They provided tickets to the families & an unforgettable Marlins experience.
After the game, Manny and his family gave my dad a ride to the airport, no, we wasnt flying anywhere, just going there to sleep again… On the way there, Manny informed him about an Honor Wall for all of the fallen heroes from Miami area – including his brother. Manny personally showed him the wall and they spent a few minutes honoring his brother together, they also noticed that Daniel Agami’s name was on the wall too. After my dad thanked Manny one last time for the ride and said goodbye, he noticed 6 more families that we had previously hosted on the wall.
After reflecting on the sacrifices of all those brave men & women, my dad did a little work and made his way back to the park bench outside for the 2nd straight night of sleeping under the stars.
Operation Warrior Wishes would like to thank the Miami Marlins for providing an awesome experience at the game, Whole Foods for breakfast and New Era Cap for the Marlins caps. But most of all THANK YOU to the families of our fallen heroes for their service and sacrifice to our country.
TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!
My dad will be on a 6am bus tomorrow morning to Tampa to make Warrior Wishes come true at the Rays game! Stay Tuned to see if he actually sleeps in a bed tomorrow…
MEET THE WARRIORS
ARMY SPC DANIEL AGAMI
“He felt a responsibility to his country,” said his father, Itzhak Agami.
“He was totally patriotic,” said his mother, Beth Agami.
Lt. Col. Doug Maddox, the Army’s casualty assistance officer, called Agami an “exemplary soldier.”
He told his parents how in the Army, many of his comrades from the Midwest had never met a Jew.
“But the drill sergeant was very accommodating to me,” he added.
ARMY PFC MARIUS FERRERO
ARMY PFC “Mario” Leonardo Ferrero is remembered as someone who was very self-less, always helping others. His brother says he Had a very BIG Heart & Adored his family.
At the young age of 8 Mario & Manuel lost their father. Their grandfather stepped in and acted as a father figure to them. He thought them at a young age the importance of helping others.
Manuel says Mario joining the Army was inevitable. “It made perfect sense for him to join our forces and help others. It was his calling.”
Mario joined the Army in early 2007. He had only been out of basic training less than 6 months before He was deployed to Iraq and was only there for 2 weeks when he learned his grandfather passed away. The Army gave Him 2 weeks leave to come home and be with his family and say good bye to his grandfather. After the 2 weeks Mario returned to his base in Iraq around 11pm local time & called his grandmother to let her know he was safe. The very next morning, on November 18th 2007, Mario was killed in action in along with 2 other soldiers in an IED explosion on the outskirts of Baqubah, Iraq.
Operation Warrior Wishes was proud to keep this warriors legacy alive as we hosted his family at the Marlins game in his honor. Mario’s legacy also lives on today thru a Non-Profit organization, set up by his brother, called “MARIO’s SOLDIERS.” Mario’s Soldiers was set up to focus on humanitarian efforts in honor of PFC Marius L. Ferrero.
Facebook “Operation Warrior Wishes”
Dont forget to nominate your hero for an upcoming game on our Battlefields to Ballfields mission!
Click here for more information.
