NATCHEZ &045; It was quite possibly the last call Fay Minor ever expected to get &045; even more than Publisher’s Clearinghouse or the lottery.

&uot;This is Kevin Maris. I want to do something to help and do a fund-raiser for the Boys and Girls Club,&uot; the voice told Minor, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Miss-Lou.

Needless to say Minor had to take a breath. On the other end of the phone was Maris, the son of famous New York Yankee Roger Maris, asking to help out the local club. Maris, a high school baseball coach in Florida, has former Natchez resident Bobby Hill as an assistant and told Minor he owed Hill a favor.

Maris will do that Aug. 6-7 in the form of the Maris Memorial Weekend in Natchez with a benefit golf tournament the first day and a baseball camp the second day with Maris, some former pro ball players and high school coaches from the Miss-Lou.

All proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Miss-Lou.

&uot;He said, ‘I’m Kevin Maris, son of Roger Maris,’ and I said, ‘Wow,’&uot; Minor said. &uot;He sounds like a great guy. I told somebody we were interested in bringing in celebrities, so we’re excited about that.

&uot;This is one of our big fund-raisers. Last year we raised $36,000, and this year we’re looking to double it. We didn’t have any celebrities last year.&uot;

The weekend is filled with activities aimed at raising money for the club and benefiting youngsters in the area. A reception honoring Maris will be Aug. 6 at the Isle of Capri Casino that will feature a raffle for a bat autographed by Roger Maris.

Among those scheduled to help with the baseball camp include former batting champ Ralph Garr, Atlanta Braves scout Robert Lucas and Hill, who is also a scout for the Pirates.

Cost of the camp is $25 per child, with proceeds benefiting the club and not a penny going back to Maris, Minor said. The camp will start at 9 a.m. at Duncan Park.

The weekend will also feature Clem Johnson, a former NBA star with the 76ers and current head coach of the ABA’s Jacksonville Wave. He will hold a tryout camp Thursday for his new team.

&uot;Just being able to raise money for a good cause,&uot; said Maris, a coach at Class 2A Oak Hall High School outside of Gainesville. &uot;There are a lot of charities out there and different things that help out kids in need. When I can help out, I enjoy that. You meet a lot of great people along the way. It can be a good time as well.&uot;

The connections came in handy for Minor and the club for the entire weekend. Hill is Minor’s brother-in-law, and the former Natchez resident was the one who got the wheels in motion to have Maris down for the weekend.

Hill helps Maris in his Kevin Maris Baseball Camp at the start of each summer in Gainesville.

&uot;He’s very excited about doing it,&uot; said Hill, the former North Natchez baseball coach. &uot;I talked to him (Thursday) &045; we talk about every day. He’s very excited, and he’s good for that type of thing. He’s a good guy and a fantastic coach. Believe me, you’ve got good players (in Natchez). The area is good for it.&uot;

A nice fund-raiser is always good for the club, particularly since it opened new clubs at McLaurin and Morgantown schools for after-hour programs there.

Maris also has the family connection with Major League Baseball, which claims the Boys and Girls Club of America as its official charity.

&uot;He’s doing it basically as a fund-raiser for the Boys and Girls Club,&uot; Minor said. &uot;He told us we could charge what we want. He’s really looking forward to coming, and we’re really excited.&uot;

Then there is Maris, one of six children of the late great Yankee slugger who slugged 61 home runs in 1961 to set a record that stood for 37 years. Kevin Maris has coached baseball at Oak Hall for 14 years and has helped a number of players enter the pro ranks.

While his dad died in 1985, Maris still has people make the connection upon first meeting.

&uot;I look quite a lot like my dad,&uot; he said. &uot;I’ve got a flat top. I get compared to him quite a lot, but that’s part of life. You can call me Roger Maris’ son or Kevin Maris. It doesn’t bother me. Some people have had problems getting out of the shadows. I’ll be a son until I’m dead and gone.&uot;

Recently he’s best known for becoming part of that great 1998 home run chase with Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Maris and his siblings were on hand in St. Louis the night McGwire hit his 62nd home run to break their father’s record of 61 homers.

Since then the Maris children have eased back out of the spotlight, but Kevin said he still looks back on that summer fondly.

&uot;Just to be there and take that all in and experience what Dad was going through,&uot; he said. &uot;They got a lot of positive response from the media and fans, and Dad’s was the exact opposite. It was a great experience for the family. It brought Dad into this generation’s eyes.&uot;