Gina DeJesus throws first pitch at Canal Park

Gina DeJesus throws first pitch at Canal Park

WKYC Staff

AKRON, Ohio — It was a special moment at Canal Park in Akron.

On Sunday, Gina DeJesus, who was kidnapped and held captive in a Cleveland home for nearly a decade, threw the first pitch at the Akron RubberDucks game.

Dennis Bair, a former minor league pitcher who worked with Gina’s family to raise awareness to help find her, caught Gina’s pitch.

“I was very excited, but nervous at the same time,” said Gina. “And watched my mom when she did it on TV when I was in captivity.”

In 2011, while Gina was in captivity, her mother threw out the first pitch at Canal Park. On that day, the stadium placed a missing-person ad featuring Gina on the team poster.

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