The Medical Freedom Channel

“Antonio Benedi will do almost anything to raise awareness of organ-donation programs. Even see whether he can put a little heat on a fast ball. Such determination sent the two-time transplant recipient to the mound last night at RFK Stadium, where he threw out the first pitch when the Washington Nationals, who took on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, marked Organ Donor Awareness Day. (The Nats won, too.) ‘I am very blessed to have had [an organ donation] not once, but twice,’ says Mr. Benedi, 50. ‘That is why I am throwing a baseball.’ He practiced for 15 minutes yesterday morning to make sure he could get a respectable pitch across home plate. ‘It was an awesome experience,’ he says. ‘Baseball has always been a passion of mine, but doing it for organ-donor awareness made it all that more special.’” (07/02/06)