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Children bounce at chance to meet Phantoms
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The Phantoms players played air hockey while they waiting for guests to show up. They said they were better at ice hockey, not air hockey.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Aiden was able to meet the Phantoms players and get a picture with them. He also bounced on the inflatables with a couple players.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Three Phantoms fans got the chance to meet some of the Phantoms players and get a picture with them. Other Phantoms items were available for fans to receive on Feb. 16.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The Phantoms players signed pictures and other items to give to the guests who attended the Meet and Greet at Austintown Bounce on Feb. 16.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Some of the children who went to Austintown Bounce had the opportunity to meet some of the Phantoms players on Feb. 16. A few children also had the chance to bounce on the inflatables with a few players.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Youngstown Phantoms hockey players visited the Austintown Bounce for a Meet and Greet on Feb. 16. Pictured, from left, are Luke McInnis, Cam Morrison, Bruce Shepas (owner), Connor Moore, and Chase Pearson.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Austintown Bounce hosted a Meet and Greet with a group of the Youngstown Phantoms hockey players on Feb. 16.
Four of the Phantoms players went to Austintown Bounce to meet, talk to and pass out Phantoms items to guests who attended. Luke McInnis, Cam Morrison, Connor Moore and Chase Pearson were the players who made an appearance. This is the first time Austintown Bounce has done an event like this.
Bruce Shepas, co-owner of Austintown Bounce, has been a sponsor of the Youngstown Phantoms Fun Zone for the past two years and is continuing his support next year as well. Austintown Bounce, owned by Shepas and Harold Porter, was established at it’s current location in 2007.
“We like to contribute to the community as much as we can,” said Shepas.
When the players arrived they started to enjoy the facility, themselves. They started playing the Deal or No Deal game and then moved to the air hockey table. A couple of the players jumped on the inflatables with a few children.
“We’ll do some events after games, like meet and greets with season ticket holders, some for the general public. We try to get our fans engaged with the team and get the team engaged with the fans,” said Zach Darnell, the Phantoms Director of Business Operations.