The new “old” routine- Carolyn Dienhart

While being able to go down to the field at Target Field every day for work is pretty fantastic, like anything, the experience becomes a bit more normal as it starts to feel more routine. Now that I have worked for the Twins for about seven months, I still am amazed at how beautiful the ballpark is and sometimes I am still in awe at how much taller, stronger, and more athletic the players look up close than they do on television. However, my amazement and awe today just simply isn’t the same as it was on day one.

Is that Sad? I don’t think so. As I have continued to work with the Twins I have realized how great it is to have a job where you can see a finished product and you can put a smile on someone’s face just about every day.  For example, during Hope Week this year, our department planned a week’s worth of volunteering events led by Twins players.  Each person in the department took charge of a day, and figured out all the necessary logistics for that day. During Hope Week, Twins players had a pizza party with kids from Gillette’s Children’s Hospital, visited veterans at the VA, and played yard games at Target Field with homeless youth, among other things. To see our plans turn into reality and to witness the smiles on the faces of the people who participated was priceless. Although Hope Week was probably the biggest example of the Twins getting out in the community, promoting volunteering, and raising funds, my department’s job is to do these activities every day.

When you tell someone that you work for the Twins they often make comments like “So you get to go to all the games then?” or “Do you know the players?”  At the start, I may have thought that going to games and interacting with players was the best part of my job.  However, as time has gone on I have realized that it is even more fun for me to be able to do a little bit of good in a day and to even be a small part of creating a special moment for someone.