Cav’s Parade Gets Personal

Dottie Verderber in the parade protecting the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy.

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St. Jerome parishioners Maura Schroeder and Dottie Verderber have close connections to the World Champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Maura has been with the Cavs for 20 years and fondly remembers Zydrunas Ilgauskas as they share the same rookie year. Zydrunas has a Collinwood connection and maintained close ties with Lithuanian Home on E. 185th Street while with the Cavs. Maura joined the Cavs working in sales and marketing, but her duties for the last 14 years as team operation manager include overseeing the Family Room, which serves the families of the front office and team personnel. It is a safe, private, kid-friendly environment where families can visit, relax and enjoy the game. As operations manager she works closely with the Cavalier’s coaching staff. Maura also works with the wives’ Better Halves group and the Cavs Community Relations with many of their outreach and charity events including support to Cleveland Christian Home and the Domestic Violence Child Advocacy Center. Maura loved being part of the 2016 NBA Finals which led her to Oakland where she witnessed the Cavaliers historic Game 7 win. The Golden State visitors’ locker room may never be the same after the Cavs christened it with champagne. Maura even has a cork as a keepsake. Maura was very emotional when talking about the victory and says it was “bitter sweet” being in California when the Cavaliers won as they all couldn’t wait to get back to Cleveland. The playoffs take everyone associated with the team to the next level. It was a call to action for the entire organization where everyone did whatever it took to help bring home a win. The busier, longer hours filled with excitement and celebrities were rewarded by the thrilling, amazing experience of riding on the parade float alongside the players and other members of the Cavaliers organization. Maura’s husband, Jeff, joined her for the day. No one could have been prepared for the absolutely overwhelming sight and outpouring of support from the Cleveland fans.

Dottie Verderber, a 42 year St. Jerome parishioner, has a long history with the Cavs beginning with the Gund family and now Dan Gilbert. Dottie and her sister, Devin Lewis, are the suite attendants for the Gilbert suite and the owner’s private suite. Through the years they have met famous visitors including Justin Bieber, Usher, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and many Browns players who are Dan Gilbert’s guests for the Cavs games. The Cav’s owner posted a sign over the kitchen area of one suites and affectionately named it Dotvin’s Den (Dottie and Devin combined). After the last home game, Dan Gilbert confidently told Dottie and Devin that he would see them in the parade. Dottie planned on driving her own convertible for the big event, but on Tuesday night, the evening before the parade, she received an important phone call. Nate Forbes told Dottie that he had a little job for her to do. Dottie and Devin had the pleasure and honor of riding on the vehicle that carried the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy. She was overwhelmed with emotion when she rounded the corner onto East Ninth Street and saw the sea of people cheering. She even heard one man from ESPN’s Believeland yell, “The Curse is over!” We all have our own memories of that spectacular event in Cleveland history, but Maura, Dottie, and Devin will remember how personal it really was.