A John Rafuse story

Baseball fans at Memorial Park in Kentville prior to the senior baseball game Sept. 16 witnessed a scary scene when long-time Wildcats’ volunteer John Rafuse collapsed in front of the Kentville dugout.

Prompt medical attention, both at the scene and en route to hospital, can be credited with saving John’s life.

As I have been told, his heart apparently stopped at the time of his collapse and again in the ambulance. At last notice, he was resting after surgery to install a pair of stints; he may even be home by now.

He’s a lucky man – but I’m sure he knew that a long time ago.

During the fifth – and as it turned out, final – game of the series two days later, the Wildcats and Dartmouth collaborated on an impromptu silent auction before the game that raised around $450 toward John’s medical expenses. A larger fundraiser was planned for game six in Kentville, had the series gone that far. I’m told other events on John’s behalf are in the works to help defray some of the costs of his treatment and medication.

Veteran Wildcats’ first baseman Jeff Lockhart suggests John’s volunteer work for the Wildcats alone is reason enough to go the extra mile for the man.

John has been involved with the Wildcats in one capacity or another since their inception in 1977, and was a volunteer with minor baseball even before that. He has been a fixture selling tickets at the east entrance to Memorial Park for many years, and helps out the team in many other ways, not the least of which is regularly taking the Kings Transit bus up and down the Valley distributing posters for upcoming games.

In 1996, John’s volunteer efforts on behalf of the Wildcats in particular and the NSSBL in general were officially recognized when he was the recipient of the league’s Susan MacEachern Memorial Volunteer of the Year award.

John’s volunteer efforts have not been limited to senior baseball – Jeff Lockhart recalls personally John being involved with both minor baseball and Junior A hockey.

Lockhart describes John as “a selfless individual.” That hardly begins to cover the impact this quiet, unassuming man has had on the community.

I expect just about everyone in and around Kentville has a John Rafuse story.

A few years ago, I interviewed John for a special publication our paper did on community volunteers. My focus was his work with the Kentville and District Lions Club. It could just as easily have been the Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, Bethany Baptist Church - or any of the many other groups and charities John has supported.

It has been said the only things we can take with us when we reach the end of our time on earth are the things we’ve given away throughout our lives. If so, then John Rafuse is a very rich man, and we are all richer for his company.

Hopefully, he will have as complete a recovery as possible, and will soon resume his volunteer work, to whatever extent his health will allow.