Army dad surprises girl at baseball game

It wasn't quite how a professional ballplayer would do it. Hours earlier, Alayna thought she was in trouble. Her mother told her they had to leave early to meet with the principal of Westlake Christian School, where Alayna is in third grade. Neither of them knew that the meeting was part of a well-orchestrated and secretive plan — a collaborative effort between the United Service Organizations and the Rays.

Later, they were told that they had been selected from among a number of military family members to throw the first pitch at Thursday night's game. And before the ball was tossed, they and the rest of the crowd watched a short video greeting from Lt. He was due to come home Monday. He wished them well and said he would see them soon. Wednesday night he stayed in a hotel room, alone, awaiting the next day's surprise. From behind the catcher's mask, Adams eyed his little girl. She stood a little taller than she had when he last saw her, the day before Valentine's Day.

After he took off his mask and Alayna jumped into his arms, he held her tight for a full 30 seconds. Subscribe Manage my subscription Activate my subscription Log in Log out. Regions Tampa St. Letters to the Editor Submit a Letter.

Investigations Narratives Pulitzer Winners. Connect with us. About us. Obituaries Homes Jobs Classifieds. A girl holds up a sign as friends and family wait to reunite with loved ones at Marine Corps Base Camp in Pendleton, Calif.

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Gafayat Moradeyo greets her son and daughter on the flight line at Naval Base Ventura County following her return from deployment. Family members welcome home paratroopers returning from a nine-month deployment, at Fort Bragg in Shaun Erickson and his daughter share a hug following his return from a four-month deployment to Southwest Asia. Chrome Safari Continue.