ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — A Florida woman who survived the Holocaust celebrated her 100th birthday by throwing the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game.
St. Pete resident Helen Kahan made the ceremonial toss in Tropicana Park on Friday prior to the start of a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. She called the experience “wonderful and exciting.”
“I loved seeing so many people cheering for us, ‘Go Tampa Bay. Win, win, win!,’” Kahan told Fox News. “Thank you for honoring me. Thank you for honoring the Florida Holocaust Museum. I waited 100 years to do this.”
The Rays delivered a win for the hometown hero, beating the Yankees 5-4.
Helen Kahan, a 100-year-old Holocaust survivor threw out the first pitch at a Tampa Bay Rays game against the New York Yankees. ⚾️
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Kahan’s celebration was in recognition of the Florida Holocaust Museum where she often tells visitors her story of survival.
"The bad things that happened when we arrived in Auschwitz – I was only 21 and I lost so many people from my life," the Romania native added.
Kahan’s husband Kalman also survived the Holocaust. The couple met after the war and had two children together.
Many of Kahan’s 5 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren joined her on the field to celebrate the special moment.
