Charity the name of the game - 2009-06-16
By MIKE ALBANESE
Special to the Star Courier
FRISCO -- Two star-studded lineups of professional athletes and celebrities, new and old, took the field Saturday night at Dr Pepper Ballpark to help raise money and awareness for a special cause.
In conjunction with the Mike Modano Foundation and The Heroes Foundation, the Reebok Heroes Celebrity Baseball game has raised $1.5 million over the last eight years for underprivileged children.
“A chance to put a smile on kids face, you’re willing to do anything,” said Marty Turco, Dallas Stars goalie. “It’s a chance for us to act like idiots and put together a decent game. It’s an awesome chance to help kids in the DFW area.”
The Mike Modano Foundation aims to raise funds to improve the quality of life for abused, abandoned and neglected children in Dallas. They also provide funding for organizations whose purpose is to offer education to children and families who have suffered the effects of abuse in an effort to break the cycle.
In 2003, The Mike Modano Infant and Toddler Cottage opened its doors to help children who have been removed from their homes by Child Protective Services. The Mike Modano Infant and Toddler Cottage houses 16 children from newborns to 5-year-olds and the Youth Cottage serves 16 additional children from the ages of 6-11.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson, who coached first base for the Black Socks on Saturday, succinctly summarized the importance of the respective charities.
“It’s all about our kids,” he said. “That’s the future of America.”
The Heroes Foundation seeks to help children in the Dallas area with programs such as Heroes Basketball, Future Heroes and the YOUniversity Program to give kids the chance to participate in constructive programs. These opportunities include learning team sports and participating in educational and cultural curriculum.
Those are messages that go hand-in-hand with the role model status given to many professional athletes.
“It’s a huge platform for athletes and we should take advantage of the opportunity,” said Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys tight end. “We are role models whether you want to be or not.”
And Witten will no doubt be a role model to plenty in attendance when the new Texas Stadium opens for football. Witten described the new facility as, “awesome.”
Also on hand for the game was former Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson, a three-time Pro Bowler. Pearson acknowledged that during these tough economic times it was good to see that people care and are willing to give money for those in need.
“People care about you,” Pearson said of the children the foundations are supporting. “During these hard economic times people are struggling, but people are willing to give money to help other people. People support the cause and raise money, and having fun is what it’s all about.”
The game also included three “Dancing with the Stars” alumni, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former NFL defensive lineman Warren Sapp and former N’Sync member Joey Fatone. As Sapp won the pre-game Home Run derby, Cuban one-upped him by winning MVP for the game itself by driving in the winning runs for an 11-8 Black Sox victory.
The Black Sox were managed by former MLB third baseman Matt Williams. This was Williams’ first trip to Frisco to take part in the celebrity baseball game and he was excited to be involved with the event.
“The MLB Alumni Association has many great events around the country,” he said. “They’re doing a lot of great things and I love to be apart of it.
“It’s easy to give money, but to find the right cause and right people to give time to, this is what happens.”
Even though Cuban has taken part in this event for several years, he stills loves to give money to this organization and would one day like to have a charity of his own.
“Kids are great at heart,” Cuban said. “What Charlie (McKinney, co-founder of the event) and Modano have done and the impact they have to kids is great. I’d love to have my own foundation, but I’ll keep giving money to them.”
McKinney said part of the money raised has gone to building Whataburger Field by the American Airlines Center. McKinney described the venue as “the best little league field” before adding that it “looks like a little Wrigley Field.”
Whataburger Field plays host to 25,000 children a year and the Inner City Baseball League is the largest inner city baseball program in the country.
“But we can always do better,” McKinney said of the growth of these foundations and programs.
He added that even though this is an expensive operation and they may be done growing, the foundation is also opening the Mark Cuban Basketball Center in the near future.
