'He does everything:' Lifelong Boone sports fan throws first pitch as he transitions to hospice
In a bittersweet moment at Boone's Memorial Park, a devoted volunteer and fixture at Boone High sporting events is being celebrated for his service as his health declines.
Marc Westberg, a Boone alumnus well-known for his unwavering dedication to the school, stepped off the sidelines for the first time and onto the pitcher’s mound on Monday to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the Toreadors' match-up against Adel-De Soto-Minburn.
After graduating from the district in 1991, Westberg's interest in the Toreadors did not waver. He continued to cheer on the school's sports teams, arts and other community events. He eventually joined the school booster club to assist the program's success.
“He wakes up in the morning, reads the Toreador schedule, knows where he needs to be, and makes sure he’s there plenty early,” Boone Booster Club Vice President Keith Lehman said.
Decades later, he's taken on responsibilities like running concessions and still refuses to miss a single game for any sport at the school.
"Whether it's here at the baseball field or whether it's a football game, a basketball game... I think there are very few fans in central Iowa, and probably no game officials in central Iowa, no matter what the sport, that doesn't know Marc Westberg," former Boone Vice Principal Eldon Hutcheson said.
The years of service Westberg has given are ones he did not know he'd have. As a student at Boone High, doctors told Westberg and his family he may not live to be 21 years old. Several lifelong medical conditions complicated his health.
Now 53 years old, Westberg is transitioning into hospice care.
Though seeing him enter this phase of life is heavy on the community's heart, they are celebrating the fact that he far outlived his life expectancy and revere the good he's accomplished in that time.
Dozens showed up to the game to show Westberg their appreciation. His pitch was met with resounding cheers from the bleachers. Before turning to take his place in a chair behind home plate, another surprise was revealed.
Iowa Hawkeye linebacker Zach Twedt walked out to Westberg, an avid supporter of the U of I team. Twedt, a former student of the Roland-Story District, said he remembers seeing Westburg when playing Boone and knew he wanted to make his special night even more meaningful. Twedt gifted Westburg a Hawkeye football, autographed by the Hawkeye football team.
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