Oakland A's Pitcher Sean Doolittle Hosts 17 Syrian Families for Thanksgiving

Oakland A's pitcher Sean Doolittle and his girlfriend Eireann Dolan, hosted a dinner for 17 Syrian families at a dinner event in Chicago on the night before Thanksgiving. The idea for the event was conceived by Dolan, who detailed in her personal blog why she and her boyfriend felt this was something they wanted to do.

Dolan tells the story of how her family fled a war-torn Ireland seeking a better life. They settled in Chicago. Upon arriving, they were greeted with animosity and scorn. They didn't have much for housing options, and they struggled to find work. But they stayed in the country because they loved its traditions and opportunities. Dolan's grandfather took especially fondly to the Thanksgiving holiday, a memory she cherishes, and one of the reasons why her and her boyfriend joined up with the Syrian Community Network in Chicago, along with their families.

The event was by all accounts a great success. Seventeen families were housed and fed, able to experience and enjoy the holiday with their families. No doubt a few second helpings were also enjoyed, perhaps some pie too. Not just that, but the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, was also able to partake in the celebration.

"Chicago is so lucky to have 17 Syrian refugee families now officially calling it home," Dolan wrote on her Instagram page. "We thought we'd officially welcome them with one of our greatest American traditions, Thanksgiving. Thank you to Mayor Emanuel and Alderman Burke for joining the party! If you'd like to sponsor a refugee family in Chicago, link is in my bio #refugeeswelcome."

The decision by Doolittle and Dolan to host the dinner comes on the heels of the decisions of many U.S. governors to put a halt to the importation of Syrians after links to Syrian refugees were discovered among the ISIS terrorists attack in Paris earlier this month, via breitbart.