Help Me Hank: Help Me Hank! Fenway footage
You may remember the day August 2nd. It was the Sox versus the Orioles. Mirabelli sends a line drive up the middle. The Sox win and get even closer to the World Series.
Now this girl, Georgia Napolitano, was also a winner that day. This young singer from Texas scored big for her career. She kicked off the important game by singing the Star Spangled Banner.
Georgia Napolitano, singer
"I'm quite sure that's the biggest thing I've done so far."
Of course proud mom and dad captured the historic performance on the family camcorder.
Tina Napolitano, mom
"This was a great moment in Georgia's life."
As New Englanders celebrated, Georgia and family flew from Boston back to Texas, checking their bags, including the camcorder with the Fenway footage at the counter.
Once back home they were excited to relive the moment on video. But when dad opened the luggage to pull out the tape there were clothes but no camcorder! Somehow between Boston and Austin the camcorder with its once in a lifetime tape had disappeared.
Panicked, Mom called the TSA, and the airline. Both said they would look into it. But the record of Georgia's Fenway debut was never found.
Tina Napolitano, mom
"I was really stuck."
And that might have been the end of it until we came across Georgia's dilemma while investigating a story on items missing from checked luggage. And we thought this sounds like a job for Help Me Hank!
We had found more than 11-million bags a year pass through Logan. We also found thousands of items a year are reported missing and bad news they're often impossible to recover.
But we remembered it wasn't so much the camera Georgia's family cared about. It was the video of her star spangled performance. And that we figured maybe someone else could provide. Someone like the Red Sox.
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"This is Hank Phillippi Ryan at Channel 7 in Boston."
Here's the scoop the organization has been archiving pre-game ceremonies since the 2004 season and, they told us, they store the tapes in a vault at Fenway. Now look and listen to what was in their archives.
Georgia Napolitano, singer
"Oh say can you see..."
The very helpful Red Sox let us have a copy, which we sent off to Texas.
Georgia Napolitano, singer
"For the land of the free...."
So happy holidays from Help Me Hank! Now the Napolitano's can see and hear Georgia's triumph any time they want.
Georgia Napolitano, singer
"And the home of the brave..."
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
In this busy holiday travel season or any other time never check anything valuable! With electronics or anything important, just put them in a carry on and take them with you.
(Copyright 2007 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

