Northern Ontario residential school survivor to throw 1st pitch at Jays game Friday in Toronto

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

Dolores Naponse is a little worried about how far she's going to have to throw her "baby pitch."

The 72-year old from Atikameksheng Anishnawbeck, near Sudbury, Ont., will throw the ceremonial first pitch Friday in Toronto at the Major League Baseball game between the Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.

Naponse, a residential school survivor, was asked to throw the pitch by the Jays Care Foundation as part of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

Other survivors of the residential school system and their families will be in the stands, along with 250 children from The Jays Care Foundation Indigenous Rookie League programming.

That's how Naponse is involved. Her grandsons Jeffrey and Keewehtn played baseball on one of the teams this past year. 

"I think it's a very good thing what Jays Care is doing for our children," Naponse said, adding that 28 children from her First Nation applied to play baseball with the league.

The Indigenous Rookie League encourages participants to focus less on the skill level and more on getting their community engaged. 

Naponse said it was a good way to get children away from their screens following the height of the pandemic.

"Getting them into baseball was something good for them.

"It was just so exciting to see all the grandparents, and the mothers and fathers getting involved with their kids again," she added.

Naponse will bring her entire family with her to Friday's game.

"We're all excited right now, cause I've never been to a [Blue Jays] game before. Well, I haven't been in Toronto for a long time."

Naponse said she's nervous about throwing the ball during the ceremonial pitch and admits she asked organizers how far she'll