Crushers recognize The Belvedere and other player-host families

Crushers player Joel Collins with his host family from The Belvedere of Westlake, the Novaks.

The Belvedere of Westlake, the original assisted living host family, was recognized for their generosity, along with other host families, by the Lake Erie Crushers on August 31 for opening their homes to the players for a season.

The Belvedere owner Cindy Griffiths-Novak, her husband Steve and children Ellee and Zach have been a host family for a Crushers player since the team started playing ball in All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon back in 2009.

The evening started with a cookout, then the host families walked on to the field with their player to be honored with flowers for the host moms and an autographed baseball signed by the entire team. They then rooted on the Crushers, and their player, starting catcher Joel Collins, as the Crushers rallied in the seventh inning to beat the Washington Wild Things 3-2.

The Crushers are an independent baseball team that play in the Frontier League. Players only make between $500 to $1,500 a month, so the league asks people of the community to house the players for the entire season.

Since The Belvedere housed their first player, Josh Faiola, it has been such a great inter-generational relationship with the residents, that four other Westside assisted living communities also house players from the Crushers.

Joel Collins rode in The Belvedere’s PT Cruiser in the Westlake Fourth of July parade this year with two of their excited residents.

Joel has had a rough time this year. He broke his wrist in mid season, but has fully recovered and has been back in the starting line up for several weeks now.

Just like Joel at The Belvedere, most host families find the experience so rewarding that friendships continue long after the season is over.