Bigger than baseball
FHS seniors give back at ETCH
But before they take to the field this spring, the Admiral seniors paid a visit to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital on a recent Monday morning.
The event was organized by FHS baseball parents Dr. Safina Kureshi — a pediatric pulmonologist at the hospital — and her husband, Dr. Joey Smith, an emergency medicine physician.
Kureshi noted the impact such an event can have on patients and players alike.
She has seen it numerous times with Tennessee coaches, such as Rick Barnes and Tony Vitello.
Now, her own son, Farragut senior Zain Kureshi-Smith, and his friends had a chance to make a similar impression.
“A lot of these guys will be going off to play college baseball,” she said, “so this helps them get used to the public relations side and community outreach.”
Kureshi-Smith is no stranger to that, having organized an athletic equipment drive each of the past five years.
“I just wanted to put a smile on a kid’s face,” Kureshi-Smith said. “I really love to give back, and it warms my heart. To see what my parents do, I see how they treat people and it makes me want to give back as well.”
The Farragut players approached slowly at first during their visit, showing hesitance in their interactions with children across the hospital.
