MATTER OF PRINCIPAL

Poland’s Kempers rewarded for sticking to principles

By DENISE DICK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

POLAND — Ed Kempers’ good deed didn’t go unnoticed.

Kempers, McKinley Elementary School principal, was surprised Thursday morning with tickets to a Cleveland Indians-Boston Red Sox baseball game as well as tickets to a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game. Scrappy, the Scrappers mascot, presented the prize, which was orchestrated by Jim O’Kane, a parent who has a child in McKinley’s band.

“I feel very appreciated,” Kempers said. “I’m very fortunate to live and work in Poland.”

Earlier this month, Kempers’ wife won tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game.

However, the game was the same night as the school band’s spring concert, so Kempers gave the tickets to friends and attended the concert instead.

That night he relayed the story.

Among the parents in the audience were Jim and Tracey O’Kane, who have four children in Poland schools, including Connor, who plays trumpet in McKinley’s band.

“You didn’t need to do that,” Kempers told O’Kane as he accepted the tickets.

“I didn’t want your good deed to go unnoticed,” O’Kane said.

The game is Tuesday.

As a joke, Kempers was first told the tickets were for a Wednesday night game, which would have conflicted with the school’s spring choir. He didn’t say anything. When O’Kane told him it was for a Tuesday game instead, the principal looked relieved.

“I work with the Scrappers a lot, and I was talking to Assistant General Manager Jordan Taylor about how much we appreciate Poland schools,” O’Kane said. “It was like a light bulb went off for both of us.”

O’Kane called Mike Masucci, North Elementary School principal, to ask what other teams Kempers likes. Because Kempers is a Boston native, Masucci named the Red Sox.

Taylor helped secure the tickets.

“Next week is the only time they’re going to be in town,” O’Kane said of the Red Sox.

Poland marks the third school district that the O’Kane children have attended in the last seven years. One was in Lima, Ohio, and the other in Michigan.

“This is the best,” O’Kane said.