Meet him in St. Louis
By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Cherry Hill Sun
7/11/2009

Brad, pack your bags and grab your glove, you’re going to the MLB All- Star game in St. Louis.

Brad Hennefer, a 20-year-old man with Down syndrome, topped two other finalists for the People Magazine’s “All-Stars Among Us,” a contest that profiles regular people who strive to make their communities a better place to live.

Robert Hennefer, Brad’s dad, reported that People Magazine contacted Brad on June 29 to inform him that he won. Over three-quarters of a million people voted for the Phillies representative, he said, but would not reveal how many voted for Brad.

The magazine will be flying the whole family to St. Louis for the game – including Brad’s mother Nancy and his brother Bob – from July 12 to July 15.

“It’s a great opportunity for Brad, just an awesome feeling for the family, especially for his brother who nominated him, he’s just really excited,” Robert said. “A lot of his (Brad’s) success is due to his brother. For this to happen to both of them, it’s just extraordinary. “ Hennefer travels the country with the Brad Hennefer Golf For Life Foundation, inspiring young children with Down syndrome to take up the game of golf. Hennefer – the first ever student with Down syndrome to graduate from Cherry Hill East – has participated in Special Olympics basketball, golf and weight lifting, winning several gold and silver medals. He also was a member of his high school varsity basketball and golf teams.

The Golf For Life Foundation, said Robert, president of the group, has touched the lives of families throughout the country. It’s inspiring to see Brad and the game of golf make such a difference in the lives of children who have Down syndrome and their families, Robert said. Nancy, is also heavily involved in the foundation, he said.

The Philadelphia Phillies invited all three nominees to a live television broadcast earlier in June. Brad and his brother Bob visited the announcer’s booth during a game and spoke on-air about the foundation with Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy.

Brad said he can’t wait to fly out to the game with his family and thanked everyone who took the time to cast a vote for him.

“It’s great. It’s good; I had a good time in the broadcasting booth.

I’m looking forward to the game. I can’t wait to meet all the players,” Brad said. “I love Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, David Ortiz, Chase Utley and Brad Lidge. I’m a big fan of baseball. I’m feeling great and I want to thank everybody for voting for me.”

Brad beat out two other finalists, including another Camden County resident.

Gisele DiNatale of Voorhees was also nominated, forming the Alicia Rose “Victorious” Foundation, a group dedicated to improving the lives of local teenagers in hospitals that are struggling with life threatening illnesses. The foundation installs teen lounges in pediatric hospitals as a refuge for teens undergoing treatment for their illnesses.

Her daughter, Alicia Rose, was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2001 and passed away 10 months later in October of 2002. She spent the majority of her time in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, but she and her mother both realized the hospital didn’t have much social programming developed for teenagers.