The 20th annual Mormon Family Night with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was held Friday, Aug. 4. Each year since 1997, Mormon families and their friends and neighbors have come together at Anaheim stadium for a family friendly event that all can enjoy.
The event provides an opportunity for members of the surrounding stakes to meet each other face to face. Mormon Family Night in Anaheim has featured special guests such as Dale Murphy, Wally Joyner and Elder Gary L. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“We love to support organizations that make it easy for families to spend time together and have good fun,” said Allen Ostergar of the Laguna Niguel California Stake presidency, who attended this year’s event. “The Angels organization makes that easy.”
During Friday night’s game, several outstanding LDS youth were recognized for their academic efforts and athletic and artistic achievements, as well as their ongoing community service. President Robert Greene, director of the Orange County Public Affairs Council for the Church, said, “We appreciate the common interest we have established with the Angels’ ownership to elevate the example of outstanding youth and community service during these special game night programs.”
Bronwyn Jarvis threw out the first pitch of the game. Victoria Williams and Ethan Hoopes accompanied Bronwyn on the field. Bronwyn, who was named Pacific Coast Softball League Pitcher of the year in 2017, said she felt “so blessed and honored,” to represent the Church at the game. Other youth participated as honorary bat boy and the “play ball” announcer. Madeleine Arrhenius was given the opportunity to “steal third base” in a race against the clock: She had to run to third base, steal the base and come back before time ran out.
Madeleine, who had practiced dashing, retrieving medicine balls and running back, said she felt the event provided “a really great opportunity for her to be a good example of a kind person and show what a young woman of the Church can do.”
For most of the youth participants, Anaheim Stadium was a familiar place for exactly the same reasons Mormon Night at the Angels was started — a place to have good family fun.
