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Pujols
and Cardinals host "Buses for Baseball"
6.17.08
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On a beautiful June evening, over 40 teenagers
and young adults with Down syndrome got to enjoy
a favorite St. Louis pastime, a Cardinals game.
The Pujols Family Foundation was chosen by Major
League Baseball Player’s Trust, Buses for
Baseball program to enjoy an awesome baseball
experience. This is the fourth year of the program’s
existence and the second year in a row that
the Pujols Family Foundation has been selected.
The purpose of the Buses for Baseball program
is to bring a large group of kids to the ballpark
for a true, baseball experience.
The experience started with
a bus ride down to the stadium where everyone
piled out to head out onto the field. The
Cardinals were already on the field, taking
batting practice, lofting pitches over the
outfield wall. One by one, several of the
Cardinals players came over to say hi to everyone
and to sign everything from baseballs to their
shirts.
“There was one girl
who you could tell was so excited. With each
player that signed her ball, she just had
the biggest smile on her face. It was awesome!”
said Lori Mattler, one of the chaperones.
Albert Pujols as well as
Rick Ankiel, Kyle Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer,
Ron Villone and Jason LaRue were among the
players who helped make this a memorable event.
After batting practice concluded,
the whole group made it up to their seats
on the third base side to enjoy a close game
against the Kansas City Royals. Each participant
received a bag of goodies that included a
“Go Cards” sign that the group used
to help cheer on the team. Everyone also received
$10.00 in ballpark bucks to use towards their
food purchase.
“Everyone had such
a great time. We feel honored that they asked
us to come back for a second year. This is
definitely something that everyone will remember
for a very long time” said PFF Program
Manager Jen Cooper.
As the bus headed back to
meet up with all the parents, you could hear
everyone sharing their favorite memories of
the night. It was a wonderful night.
Click
here for photo slideshow.
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