UMPS Cares provided a special experience for three different HopeKids Kansas City families this baseball season! It has meant so much for our organization to be able to work with UMPS Cares and send our families to the games where they can make special memories together that will last them a lifetime! UMPS Cares has truly been amazing to work with and we are so thankful for our partnership with them and the Kansas City Royals!!
For the past 5 years, we have teamed up with UmpsCare to invite them to our hometown in Toronto, Canada for a visit at the hospital for Sick Kids. We are incredibly grateful for the work that this charity puts in every year to bring big smiles and joy to the children of our city. There selfless acts of charity do not go unnoticed by the hospital staff and parents of these children and we are very honored to work with such an incredible group of people!
Every step of the way with Umps Care Charities is as Professional organization as you'll get. Ultimately I was a former professional umpire in Triple-A baseball & flew home for a family emergency. The MLB umpires that are affiliated with Umps Care Charities came to my family's aid when my wife & I experienced a traumatic c-section for our twin daughters who arrived 8 weeks early. Fearing the unknown, my phone was flooded with outpouring love and support from the SAME people who are a HUGE part of this charity. Both daughters hanging on for dear life with their bodies covered in needles and tubes is completely disheartening. You feel hopeless and you don't know what to do or what is going to happen.
Each day I was home for the next 4 weeks, I did not go a hour or a day without people from this organization calling or emailing me. It's their love and their prayers that we were so thankful when our first daughter was able to go home, but the other was still fighting for life. Still, in their busy schedules with games and travel - the calls CONTINUED to pour in! Soon after, we would receive checks in the mail to help offset the cost of my lost wages in umpiring to help pay our bills. We could NOT have done this without the help of Umps Care.
For this, we are for FOREVER thankful & blessed that we have 2 HEALTHY, ATHLETIC and Honor Roll students entering high school. It was our promise that we would make an annual donation to help Umps Care Charities.
It is my humble and distinct honor to serve as an active Board Member. Without Umps Care Charities and the people that make it successful, we may not have been in the position we are in now. We will ALWAYS be an Umps Care Charities family & serve them to our fullest.
Thank you for your time in reading my post. God Bless! - Scott Kennedy (Board of Director)
I entered foster care at the age of 9, and my life was changed forever. My foster mom adopted me at the age of 13, and I got a new start and a bright future. After working hard, I was able to fulfil my dream of attending Butler University, but I couldn’t have done it without my Umps Care Allstar Scholarship. Not only did Umps Care provide financial support, I also received a sponsor umpire. Ted Barrett and his lovey wife Tina sent me care packages at finals to give me encouragement. I was also able to attend a baseball game that Ted was umpiring. Last year, I flew out to Phoenix to speak to umpires about my experience and how Umps Care changed my life. Umps Care has been more than just a scholarship; they’ve been a family.
As children, we all had our sports hero's and/or idols, those people we looked up to and admired for all their tremendous accomplishments in their particular profession. But then as we get older, we often lose sight of what heroes really look like. For me, Umps Care Charity takes me back to my childhood and has allowed me to refine my definition of what heroes really do look like and realize that heroes really do exist. The Major League Baseball Umpire’s charity, Umps Care, is having a profound impact on the lives of hundreds of kids and families - each year. It’s because they focus on ‘the why’ they are doing this, that they are having generational impact. The Umpires make it clear, this charity is not about them, it’s about the benefactors they serve. Get involved in Umps Care, allow yourself to be inspired and, once again, be able to appreciate what true hero’s look like.
A BIG shout out to UMPS CARE CHARITIES for providing such an awesome experience for our matches. We are so grateful to be included!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Decatur County
Taking part in the Umps Care Blue for Kids Hospital visits is gratifying on many levels. The Build-a-Bear workshop let’s the children pick out & dress a new cuddly friend! Some of these very ill children haven’t had much of a reason to smile lately. Seeing these children happy & not thinking about their illness for a few moments is worth more than words can express.
Just as important is seeing how happy the parents are when they see the smile on their child’s face. Having an ill child is as tough on the parents as it is on the child themselves.
The Umps Care Blue for Kids Program helps families dealing with some terrible situations forget about their problems for at least a few hours!
What an excellent example of giving back. This charity not about those involved but is focused on the children and young adults that might not be at the most fun times of thier lives. Just a few minutes a laughter can change a bad circumstance into a day of joy.
As a non-profit ourselves, working with Umps Care was an excellent experience. We were able to partner up as a Canadian organization, and they provided children and youth that we work with unforgettable experiences. The feedback we received for the whole process was excellent! The communication between us was always very open and we were both there for the same end goal; to change a child's perspective!
I have been a volunteer for UMPS CARE Charities since 2009 and have never once regretted putting in the time and volunteer hours for them. The work the umpires do in children's hospitals, with at-risk kids and kids waiting for adoption, and their other efforts, is something I'm proud to support behind the scenes.
I've attended a few of their events, and the smiles on the faces of the kids makes it all worthwhile. But even bigger are the smiles on the faces of the umpires. You realize seeing them in action how much they love doing this, how much they love participating in the charity, and how much they love and appreciate the opportunity to give back.
UMPS CARE Charities makes it easy to want to volunteer for them, and the people involved make it easy to want to continue. They're professional, intelligent, creative, and very welcoming. I always feel like my ideas are valued and listened to, and always feel like my contributions are worthwhile. I can't imagine NOT volunteering for this amazing organization.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee would like to thank UMPS Care Charities and BLUE Crew Ticket program for the amazing experiences they have provided our Bigs and Littles! The opportunity to share with our young people the behind the scenes of what it takes to be a professional umpire with a meet and greet changes the perspective of playing baseball at Miller Park. It is a true pleasure working with the organization who make this experience a homerun. Thank you for all you do and we look forward to the 2018 season!
USO San Diego cannot say enough about the great work that Umps Care Charities is doing for our youth. This past summer Umps Cares Charities partnered with us here at USO San Diego providing a once in a lifetime opportunity to military family who absolutely loves baseball. The family was treated to snacks in the ballpark, admission to a Padres game and the best part they were invited onto the field to meet the Umpires of the day's game; they asked questions and took photos. The family had an absolutely amazing time and the found the experience to be incredible. Without Umps Cares this opportunity would not have happened and we received great feedback that the family simply had the greatest day ever.
Thank you Umps Cares Charities Inc for always putting a smile on the faces of families who may need it the most.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona has have the privilege of working with UMPS Care Charities for a few years now, and have nothing but great things to say about it. We have been actively involved in their BLUE Crew Ticket program, which allows a once in a lifetime experience for our Bigs and their Littles to meet professional umpires on the field, take pictures, and attend the game. Not only has it been so easy and wonderful to work with the UMPS Care team, but their hard work in organizing these opportunities has clearly paid off judging by the tremendous feedback we receive from those who attend. Thanks for everything you have done for us!!
I am with CPS and I was able to take a few of my kids on my caseload to this event. They had a blast. We got to do so many things that most people never get to do in their lifetime. The umpires were very kind and we enjoyed talking to them. I am grateful that my kids were able to take advantage of this opportunity and I am grateful that I was able to have this amazing experience as well.
Umps Care Charities has been the most wonderful organization to work with, and I must sing their praises. I am a Program Manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area, and the game day experiences our youth (and their mentors) have had because of Umps Care Charities is immeasurable. Whether at an Oakland A's game, or an SF Giants game, our kids have been treated with cool swag, fun on the field experiences, and of course, getting to watch a baseball game--all for free. These events become special memories for our mentees/mentors, and everyone that attends always shares what a fun-filled day they have had. Not to mention, coordinating these events with our Umps Care Charities coordinator (Jenn) has been a breeze. She is wonderful, and I truly enjoy working with her. We, as an agency, couldn't be more appreciative of the work this organization does to make the lives of our youth better---so THANK YOU UMPS CARE CHARITIES!
UMPS Care Charities is an outstanding community partner. As a Wendy's Wonderful Kids Recruiter in the Denver Metro Area our organization has taken over 20 youth to the ROCKIES game. The kids are so excited to go on the field, meet the UMPS and receive a bag of goodies with baseball memorabilia. There are many times when the kids will say, "remember when we went to the baseball game". I know these memories are cherished as a special time among chaos they experience in their day to day lives. Thank YOU!!
As Special Services Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh I can say it has been a pleasure to work with the Umps Care Charities year in and year out as they provide Bigs and Littles with unique experiences that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Our mentoring matches have greatly enjoyed the Blue Crew experiences which include an opportunity to get a behind the scenes view of PNC Park as they make their way out onto the playing field to meet with the umpires who will be working the game. Each of the umpires that participate greet each match and eagerly share not only some of their expertise but show genuine interest and concern for the youth, asking them an as many questions as they themselves receive. In addition to the personal attention, each of the matches receive a gift of a baseball, get a photo taken with the umps and in addition to tickets to watch the game - they also receive an awesome goody bag of baseball snacks.
All of this adds up to an experience that makes each of our Littles (and their Bigs) feel special - and that is an immeasurable gift to share. BBBS of Greater Pittsburgh was one of the original charity partners to benefit from Umps Care Charities and I can say that many, many matches have been lucky enough to add this experience to their bucket list...and each I can say have walked away with a great memory and a greater appreciation for baseball and the umpires who play such an important role.
We greatly appreciate all the great work done by the folks at Umps Care Charities!
My name is Edna Green. I am a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter in St. Louis, MO, and I am excited when my clients who are placed in pre-adoptive homes are given the opportunity to attend a once in a lifetime baseball experience. I can honestly report that after each family has attended a game they share pictures, talk about the game, and gush about how wonderful the experience was. They especially love meeting an umpire from a major league baseball team! I am so grateful for the opportunities that UMPS CARE provides to children!
