Starting Friday, August 21st, the Detroit Tigers at TigerTown will begin accepting donations for Roberto’s Kids (Robertos-Kids.org) at their Lakeland, Florida complex, and it is our time to do a good deed for them after all the years of entertaining baseball.
Roberto’s Kids is an organization founded by Stephen Pindar and Steve Tremitiere, with the endorsement of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the family of the late Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente.
“The goal of Roberto’s Kids is to collect and distribute equipment from baseball leagues, charitable organizations, individuals or retailers in the United States and Canada and provide that equipment to those in Latin American countries where baseball is loved and played with passion,” says Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey.
The organization accepts new or ‘gently used’ baseball equipment for use by players in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. They accept all sorts of baseball equipment, including bats, balls, gloves, uniforms, caps, cleats, helmets, catching equipment, bags, and even bases.
Though the Tigers will begin their collection efforts at the Lakeland Flying Tigers game on August 21st, there are many ways to contribute. Equipment donations can be dropped off at, or shipped to TigerTown in Lakeland, FL (c/o Sharon Lockwood, TigerTown, 2125 N. Lake Ave., Lakeland, FL 33805). Monetary donations can also be made by sending checks made payable to Stephen Pindar (with Roberto’s Kids in the memo space) to the same address above.
The Tigers will be increasing their efforts to collect equipment throughout the off-season, culminating with a huge push during Spring Training 2010, but this is your chance to get in and contribute early!
This isn’t just about supporting your team, or giving back to the community, this is about more than that. Baseball isn’t just a game to many in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, it is a chance at a better life for their families, a better life without poverty. Let’s do our part as Tiger fans, as fans of baseball, and help grow the game by giving back.
If anyone has any questions about the Tigers efforts to support Roberto’s Kids, they can contact me at Mark@TigsTown.com for more information.