Jerry’s Home Run

There are baseball fans, and then there’s Jerry Schroeder.

Jerry and his family have spent countless hours at ballparks over the years, from Little League diamonds to Major League stadiums. Every weekend, you’ll find Jerry and his wife, Carin, cheering on the Farming Flames amateur baseball team, with their son in the dugout as coach and their grandson on the field.

When Jerry entered hospice, his nurse, Amanda, from the St. Cloud, Minnesota, branch, quickly noticed his family’s deep ties to the game. “Every time I arrive at his house, they are all watching the Twins, either a live game or rerun,” Amanda said. “Knowing how much Jerry and his family love baseball, I thought it would be perfect to gift them one last trip to Target Field to watch the Twins!”

And that’s exactly what she did.

Amanda coordinated the outing with the help of Abby Rademacher, Manager of Clinical Services, and on June 7, Jerry and 18 of his family members and friends watched the Twins take on the Royals. The Twins nearly pulled off a comeback but fell short in a 6-5 heartbreaker. Despite the loss, Jerry left with something far more meaningful than a win — a day filled with laughter, family and cherished memories.

Thanks to the dedication of St. Cloud team, Jerry and his loved ones were able to enjoy one more inning in a lifelong tradition of sharing their love of baseball together.