Elizabeth Dole grew up in basketball-crazy North Carolina, but baseball was front and center on July 4 for the former North Carolina senator and director of the Red Cross.
Dole, 81, was at Nationals Park on Wednesday morning as the Nationals hosted the Boston Red Sox in their annual Independence Day game.
She was on the field before the game with Maryland resident Megan Smith, who threw the ceremonial first pitch to Matt Wieters of the Nationals. Smith is the caregiver for her husband, a post 9-11 U.S. Army veteran who was injured in 2013.
Dole and Smith have been raising awareness for Hidden Heroes, which is a major campaign of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.