(L to R) The MLB Umpire crew working the Braves-Angels series in Atlanta – Alex Tosi, Cory Blaser, Derek Thomas and Ron Kulpa – brought the Fourth of July spirit to kids at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Arthur M. Blank Hospital. Photo by Matthew Graves
The MLB Umpire crew working the Atlanta Braves’ series against the Los Angeles Angels – Ron Kulpa, Cory Blaser, Alex Tosi and Derek Thomas – took time out to bring the excitement of the upcoming Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Fourth of July holiday to children undergoing hospital treatment.
The MLB Umpires make visits in children’s hospitals across the country to deliver cuddly Build-A-Bear® furry friends to young patients. They know many of these children will not be able to get to the All-Star Game or to Fourth of July festivities so they wanted to bring the fun to them. For this visit, the umpire crew delivered 100 Build-A-Bear® cuddly toys, outfits (including Braves T-shirts), goody bags with activity books, Topps baseball cards, Fourth of July favors and more to young patients.
The Arby’s Foundation has been generously funding our UMPS CARE Blue For Kids Hospital Program for several years, and volunteers from the foundation participated this visit. Each child will receive a voucher from Arby’s as part of this visit.
“There is nothing more American than baseball and the Fourth of July, and UMPS CARE Charities is bringing the fun of the summer to young patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” said Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt, Executive Director at UMPS CARE Charities. “There is a lot of excitement in Atlanta with the MLB All-Star Game coming to town and we wanted the kids to feel that energy. We are grateful to the Atlanta Braves, the staff at Children’s and to our friends at the Arby’s Foundation for their continued support for this program.”
This visit to Children’s marks the 232nd delivery of Build-A-Bear® furry friends that UMPS CARE Charities since the program was created in 2006. Including the visit today, UMPS CARE will have delivered more than 23,500 Build-A-Bear® stuffed toys to children in hospitals across the country and in Canada.
UMPS CARE Charities is proud to partner with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Umpire Association, the Atlanta Braves, The Arby’s Foundation and generous monthly donors to make this event possible.
