I missed it. Giving Tuesday. The opportunity to reach out and ask those looking to donate to support something that is near and dear to me. Yep, I am a day late – but I am not going to let that stop me. I’m still going to ask, and hopefully some of you are still feeling generous this holiday season.
I am sure that if we are close friends, you know all about my latest venture. I am trying to make the dreams of some amazing baseball kids come true. Now, they aren’t particularly endearing at this age – so sharing a ton of photos of them probably won’t persuade you (I mean – we are talking about a group of 12-ish year olds….we think they are cute, even when they are smelly – but pre-teens are not for the weak hearted #InsertEyeRollHere). But, they are all very, truly passionate about baseball.
Cooperstown Dreams Park annually hosts an invitation only tournament. We are fortunate enough to live in a town where the opportunity is grandfathered to team after team – year after year. We are lucky, Hollister has a long standing history of passionate athletes….
Cooperstown is the town where baseball began. The kids not only get to play in some high-caliber games against teams from all over – they leave with a sense of pride, dignity & accomplishment. Each player and coach will be immortalized by being inducted into the prestigious American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame (and they get a ring!). It is a culturally rich experience for the players, and for the families. Not every kid will have a shot at the big leagues, but we have the opportunity to give them a little taste of greatness. And you have the chance to support their big league dreams right now!
Now, I am not doing this JUST because I like to support our youth. I have a player on this team. And in order for me to raise money for HIS dreams to happen – I am coordinating an effort to raise money for the entire team. It isn’t cheap – the cost of the tournament alone is steep. But we are also asking families to travel to NY for a week. That is a big deal, and makes something like this unreachable for many. I want this dream available for any player (of age) that wants it. I want to go with a team of passionate players & coaches that will show up and give it their all. I don’t want money to be the thing that holds anyone back.
Let me stop for a minute to tell you about these kids & coaches…. For the most part, they have been playing together since they were old enough. Through little league, various travel ball teams, All Star teams – you name it. The amount of passion that this team has is inspiring. The kids eat, sleep and breathe baseball – if they get together for any reason, there is a sure bet that they will find something and some way to play a form of baseball. And well, the coaches are top notch. They have helped the kids grow in so many ways, and where we come from – baseball = family.
Think back to when you were 12 years old. What would it have meant to you if someone supported and encouraged your dreams? How would that have changed your life?
Please reach out to me if you are willing and able to make a donation and support this opportunity. Any donation gets us closer to our goals.
Here is the sweet part of this deal. We are raising money under our non-profit travel ball team – even though we are competing as a different team (made up of players from our normal team and many others). We are a registered non-profit, which means that any donation made by you or your business is 100% tax deductible. If you need another write off for the year, we sure would appreciate the support!
Hope your holidays are filled with everything you wish for. Thank you for your consideration and support – it means the world to us.
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