Members of the MLB Umpire crew working in St. Louis – Tom Hanahan (left) and Todd Tichenor – took time out to deliver 100 Build-A-Bear furry friends to young patients at Mercy Children’s Hospital along with volunteers from the Arby’s Foundation. (Photo by Joe Puetz)
Since 2006, Major League Baseball Umpires have been taking time out from their busy summers working on the baseball diamond to give back to the community by visiting pediatric hospitals across the country.
Todd Tichenor and Tom Hanahan, two members of the MLB Umpire crew working the St. Louis Cardinals’ series against the Colorado Rockies stopped by Mercy Children’s Hospital this morning to deliver 100 Build-A-Bear Workshop® furry friends, outfits, baseball-themed activity books, crafts and more to children undergoing hospital treatment.
Our partners at the St. Louis Cardinals enhanced the visit by providing posters and TOPPS baseball cards to the kids.
The goal of the program is to bring some fun and baseball magic to kids who are facing medical challenges.
This visit to Mercy Kids marks the 235th 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 nearly 24,000 Build-A-Bear® stuffed toys (23,965 to be exact!) to children in hospitals across the country and in Canada.
“Seeing a child’s face light up when they get to choose a Build-A-Bear® cuddy toy is what it’s all about,” said UMPS CARE Charities Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt. “The Major League Baseball Umpires spend most of the summer away from their families and know how much it means to give back to kids who are away from home, too.”
The Arby’s Foundation has been generously funding our UMPS CARE Blue For Kids Hospital Program for several years, and volunteers from local Arby’s restaurants participated in this visit alongside the umpire crew.
UMPS CARE Charities is proud to partner with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Umpire Association, the St. Louis Cardinals, The Arby’s Foundation and generous monthly donors to make this event possible. Special thanks also go to the staff at Mercy for making this visit possible.
