Berks Barrister Winter 2018 - 29

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Michael Jack

Schmidt

Hits it Outta Here!
By Brian C. Engelhardt, Esquire

hillies baseball great
Mike Schmidt
returned as the
keynote speaker for the
Tenth Annual Holiday Benefit luncheon
hosted on December 1, 2017 by the Law
Foundation of Berks County and the Reading
Chapter of PICPA, the Pennsylvania Institute
of Certified Public Accountants, nine years
after serving the same role for the first such
event in December of 2008. Since that time
the luncheon has become a holiday tradition
and a highly successful event benefitting the
Berks County community.
The approximately 550 in attendance,
the largest turnout of all time, heard
Schmidt relate stories from his career, but also discuss a number of subjects demonstrating how
life has changed on several levels since the time he served as keynote speaker at the inaugural
holiday luncheon, including for him personally and for the Phillies.
Speaking of changes that occurred since the first holiday benefit luncheon, the recipient of
this year's Sidney D. Kline Jr. Award for Outstanding Community Service was Reading Eagle
Company President and CEO Peter D. Barbey, presented by Alexa Antanavage, President of
the Law Foundation. Barbey is the fourth such recipient of the award since its creation in 2014.
During the auction of sports memorabilia and other items, at one point Schmidt interrupted
in a very polite manner (he is from the Midwest, after all) to volunteer information on the
wonderful features of a tour of Citizens Bank Park the winner would receive. Following his
enhancement of the auction, Schmidt answered questions initially posed by event Chair Mark
Caltagirone and myself in the "armchair interview" format as in the past, followed by several
questions from the audience.
However, before beginning the questions to Schmidt, Caltagirone presented a clip of what
Philly.com termed an "eloquent and heartfelt address" Schmidt made at Citizens Bank Park
at the annual Phillies "Wall of Fame" ceremony on August 12, 2017, in which he remembered
three members of the Phillies family who had passed away that year: Dallas Green, Jim
Bunning, and Darren Dalton. Schmidt's message concluded with his saying to the crowd: "Live
every day like it's your last, be a beacon of light and spread love at home and in your community.
We celebrate their lives and the memories they left behind." An emotional Schimdt also noted
the passing of Ruben Amaro, Sr. who had been active in the Phillies organization for years at
many levels. A respectful silence immediately followed the clip.
Continued on page 30

Winter 2018 | 29

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Berks Barrister Winter 2018

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