Changwon Hoon-hoon ‘Saw Surprise’
Changwon gets warm.
NC Dinos outfielder Jae-hwan Lee, 30, is preparing for a special day. On the 3rd, Jae-hwan posted on his Instagram, “Hello? NC Dinos Jae-hwan Lee. The fans gave me undeserved support and love in the 2023 season, so I organized a small ceremony with the players to return the support to the fans.”
They will open a charity cafe with NC players and donate jerseys. “On January 7, from 12:00 to 17:00, we will be serving at Cafe Sodamia in Sanho-dong with Kim Soo-yoon, Choi Bo-sung, Kim Tae-hyun, Park Joo-chan, and Lee Ki-seok. We will donate all of the proceeds generated during this time to the local community in the name of the fans who came. We will also be selling the jerseys of the players who are unable to attend the event. All proceeds from these sales will also be donated in the name of the purchasers.”
“For those who are coming to the event, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, dress warmly as the weather may be cold. Second, we will be selling autographed jerseys one per person on a first-come, first-served basis. As we’re organizing this, we don’t have a card terminal, so we’ll only be accepting cash payments. We appreciate your understanding. The third menu items that will be donated are Americano (recommended by Park Joo-chan), Grapefruit and Green Grape Ade (recommended by Lee Jae-hwan), Iced Tea (recommended by Kim Soo-yoon), Iced Chocolate (recommended by Choi Bo-sung), and Dessert (recommended by Kim Tae-hyun and Kim Sung-seok). For more information, please refer to the schedule below.”
Here’s how the event will work, according to Jae-Hwan. The jerseys will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis as soon as the event opens. The lineup for the jerseys will be Jae-Hwan (2 pairs), Park Joo-Chan, Kim Soo-Yoon, Choi Bo-Sung, Kim Tae-Hyun, Lee Ki-Seok, Choi Sung-Young, Choi Jung-Won, and Seo Ho-Cheol, and the price will be 150,000 won per pair.
Jae-hwan said, “This is the amount we set in consultation with the players in order to give back a little more to the community for the love we received from the fans based on the club’s sales (totaling 169,000 won, including embroidery, for the 2023 Authentic jersey). To ensure the smooth running of the event, the table will be available for one hour after ordering drinks.”
In practice, some players use their inactive periods to organize ‘sharing events’. Kim Hye-seong of the Kiwoom Heroes organized a charity one-day cafe in Seoul at the end of last month. It was not organized by anyone, but by the players themselves.
It doesn’t matter how well they perform or how popular they are. Professional athletes live off the love of their fans and are obligated to reciprocate. What could be more gratifying than donating the proceeds to a good cause with Changwon fans, and being told to dress warmly? ‘So sweet’.