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Harrisburg Insider: Nate DeFazio

Published: Jul 22, 2016
Nate DeFazio Harrisburg Senators

Nate works with the Harrisburg Senators.

How’d you find your way here?
I moved here right after I graduated from college. I’m from a small mountain town in the middle of nowhere with a very low population. I didn’t realize that there was another city other than Pittsburgh until I was probably 13 or 14 years old. That being the case, it was a little intimidating to move somewhere like this. But after being here for 13 years now, I’m absolutely in love with it.

What do you do at the ballpark? 
I’m out in the community seeking opportunities for the Senators to partner with nonprofits and companies. We develop events that help raise awareness and funds for those organizations. We always say that we’re small and mighty. We only have a full-time staff of 20. But we have a large voice in the community. That gives us the opportunity to help other organizations have a bigger voice and create awareness for prostate cancer, kidney health awareness—all that kind of stuff.

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened at a Senators game?
I’m sure you’ve heard of Bryce Harper, MVP with the Washington Nationals last year. Well, we have a monkey race where three of our interns dress up in monkey suits and race around the outfield. I myself was dressed as ‘Steve the Lovable Loser’ when Bryce was here. After we ran, we went behind the dugout and took our mascot heads off to get a breather. Bryce stuck his head around the back end of the dugout and said, ‘Hey, Steve!’ And he called me Steve from then on, even though he knew my name was Nate. He didn’t care that I was Nate. He wanted to know me as Steve the Monkey, Lovable Loser.

Any tips for making the most out of a visit to Harrisburg? 
I say stretch it out. Don’t go to all the obvious places. Talk to the locals, see where they go. You’re not going to find Jackson House and Alvaro’s and places like that if you don’t. Their products do the marketing for them. So talk to the locals and figure out what the locals do and where they hang out.

Where do you hang out? 
I love nothing more than enjoying work for the day, going over to the city for lunch, coming back, executing the ballgame that evening and then going catfishing on the Swatara Creek that night. There’s nothing more beautiful than the variety of things that you’re able to do around this area.
 

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Related links:

Harrisburg Senators Baseball

Jackson House

Harrisburg City Island

 

Author: Explore HBG

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