Even though Sam Angell moved to Philadelphia for work four years ago, he still considers Baltimore his home. He was born and raised in Hunting Ridge in West Baltimore, his parents still live here, and, most of all, he is a diehard Orioles fan.
So, when he was watching the news unfold last week, he knew he had to do something to support his hometown.
“It was surreal seeing these places I knew on fire and just surrounded by chaos on the national news,” Angell says. “Then the Orioles decided to play in a closed stadium last week and play ‘home’ games in Tampa. I wanted to do something to help support our city and team in some small way.”
Once Angell looked up the schedule and realized the next time the Orioles would be in town was a Monday (like typical Opening Days) and against division rival Toronto, he got a group of his friends together to organize a grassroots campaign and promote
ReOpening Day. The event on Monday, May 11, encourages fans to come to the Orioles game, wear orange, and, most importantly, support the local businesses surrounding Camden Yards.
“The idea is to have everyone spend a little money in the participating bars and restaurants on Friday, then pack the yard,” Angell says. “We want to show all of those watching on TV that Orioles fans, and Baltimore, are not going away.”
Participating bars include
Frank and Nic’s West End Grille (offering $4 16-ounce domestic beers); Pickles Pub ($2 Miller Lite and Coors Light cans during the game); Sliders Bar and Grill ($12 60-ounce Bird Bowl orange crushes, $5 tallboy cans); Camden Pub ($4 Natty Boh tallboys, $14.95 Maryland crab cakes); and Pratt Street Ale House (live music from singer/songwriter Rob Fahey on the patio from 4-6 p.m.).
Additionally, ReOpening Day is partnering with
Maryland Food Bank and some bars—like Frank and Nic’s—will be accepting non-perishable food items to donate to the organization that helps provide food to area soup kitchens, shelters, and communities.
“I have lived in this city for 15 years now,” says Frank and Nic’s co-owner Frank Zafonte. “And any time something bad happens in this city, you see something positive come out of it. It’s pretty amazing.”
As for Angell, he says that if he’s lucky the atmosphere on Monday will feel as electric as a typical Opening Day or playoff game at Camden Yards. And he’s hoping that can translate into some desperately needed optimism for the city.
“I know that it’s just a game and pales in comparison to the underlying issues of the city,” he says. “But the Yankees made it to the World Series after 9/11 and Red Sox won after the Boston Marathon. We’ve seen how baseball can bring the community back together and help people recover emotionally.”