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"O Night Divine" Culminates Foundation Year Stars from near and far add shimmer to Christmas celebration 12.07.08

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining …

Stars from near and far, from the sports world and beyond, helped add to the shimmer and sparkle of the Pujols Family Foundation's fourth annual O' Night Divine Christmas Celebration.

Lou Brock, Darryl Strawberry, Jack Clark, Al Hrabosky … baseball greats who need no introduction joined current Cardinals players Kyle McClellan, Chris Duncan and Ryan Franklin, as well as World Series of Poker winner Dennis Phillips, opera singer Neal E. Boyd of America's Got Talent fame, Christian recording artist Matthew West and many others as more than 500 gathered December 7 at the Chase Park Plaza to celebrate the foundation's work in 2008.

And while much glitz and glamour awaited the many friends, family and PFF supporters as they arrived, the night remained focused on Albert and Deidre Pujols' mission to support those with Down syndrome and reach out to the poorest in the Dominican Republic through faith and works.

"It's nice to be able to see the video and pictures of the Dominican Republic and to see all the lives they're changing, it's very moving," said former major leaguer Mike Matheny, who has teamed with the PFF through his own Catch 22 Foundation.

The Rev. Jackie Brock again provided the opening prayer, and Neal E. Boyd, the Missouri native who won America's Got Talent in 2008, drew the night's first standing ovation with a beautiful performance of "O' Holy Night" …

Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth. …

Moments later another standing ovation followed when PFF executive director Todd Perry talked of Albert's big award. Not the National League MVP title he had won just a few weeks earlier, but for winning Major League Baseball's 2008 Clemente Award for contributions on and off the field.

"If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap … if you want happiness for a lifetime, serve others," said Perry, quoting a Chinese proverb, before adding, "God has had his hand on this, there's no other explanation for what's happening here (with the foundation)."

Albert and Deidre then took to the stage and thanked their many friends and family and supporters. Deidre gave a warm speech, and a very relaxed and glowing Albert followed with fun stories about his daughter Isabella and how in 2001 Cardinals players Matheny and Darryl Kile took him under their wing and now he's trying to pass it along to today's younger players. "But it's hard because they think they know it all," he said with a smile.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices …

When the foundation was formed in May 2005, Perry said the goal was to hold approximately a dozen events a year. In 2008, the foundation held 46. Almost three-fourths of those events were geared toward those with Down syndrome. But the biggest project of the year came in February, when a team of optometrists from the Clarkson Eyecare Foundation traveled with the foundation to the Dominican Republic from February 3-9.

Three doctors and six opticians as well as translators and aids saw more than 1,800 children and families and provided more than 200 pairs of glasses at five villages, and a video at the dinner showed lots of smiles when the children donned their glasses for the first time.

For their efforts, the Clarkson Eyecare Foundation was named as the PFF's Partner of the Year.

"To see everything and be associated with the Pujols Family Foundation and be recognized is great," said Bill Jehling, Eyecare Foundation founder. "It's profound to see what great work individuals can do when they all work as one."

For 2009, the PFF already is planning to return to the Dominican Republic with its dental team, which treated almost 1,000 children when it visited in 2007. And the Eyecare team is also planning to return at a date to be determined.

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn…

In its few years, the PFF also has created a number of fun events and unique opportunities for those with Down syndrome. And 2008 included many favorites (father/son bowling with Albert, bicycle camp and the fun Autumn Prom) as well as a number of new events that the dinner guests were able to see highlights of.

In March, Lynch Hummer and the St. Louis Corvette Club created the Off-Road Event, which thanks to the big spring rains, led to a sloppy, goopy, fun romp in the mud in the giant all-terrain Hummers.

And in June, Albert made his "coaching" debut as he led a team of athletes with Down syndrome to victory in the first PFF All-Star Game and Home Run Derby.

While the gals had a chance to take a Dierberg's cooking class over the summer with their moms.

"Seeing all the kids with Down syndrome smiling ear to ear in the videos," said Jan Hennicke with a smile of her own, when asked the highlight of the dinner for her.

Jan's daughter Lauren, 15, has Down syndrome and was able to meet Albert at spring training when he called her to the field and gave her a pair of batting gloves he had autographed. Since then, she's attended the Home Run Derby, the Hummer event, cooking class and more. "I love him, he's the best player," said Lauren with a big grin.

And some of the young adults with Down syndrome are now giving back to the community through the new "High 5" group. The group's service activities have included serving lunch to the homeless and delivering Thanksgiving turkeys.

High 5's goals include "building community relations through awareness, interaction and involvement of people with disabilities" and providing an opportunity for those with Down syndrome to serve others. High 5 founders Dianne and Darrell Trower were recognized by the PFF for paying it forward.

And the foundation also brought in Christian recording artist Matthew West to sing his song, "The Last Ones," which he wrote after meeting a girl with Down syndrome. Among the lyrics: "And I confess when I first met her I was thinking life's not fair, But then she wrapped her arms around my neck, And it all became so clear."

"I would have to say that Matthew West's performance brought me to tears. Hearing him perform this song that obviously meant so much to him was amazing," said Jen Cooper, PFF program director.

"Another thing that really touched me that evening was to see the level of camaraderie and support amongst all of the attendees, especially the celebrities that were in attendance. For some of them, they flew in for just that day to be a part of the event. They were there not only to support Albert and Deidre but the amazing work that is being done through the Pujols Family Foundation. We are truly touching lives and it is wonderful to know that people recognize that and want to be a part of it."

… O, hear the angels' voices! …

KSDK sports announcer Rene Knott once again provided his rousing voice and energy for the live auction and spurred some fun bidding right out of the gate between two World Series veterans: Dennis Phillips, who took third in World Series of Poker this fall, and former eight-time major league All-Star Darryl Strawberry. The two led bantering and bidding until Knott yelled sold at $4,500.

Former major leaguers Jack Clark, Andy Benes, Kerry Robinson and Mike Matheny also joined forces to create a dream baseball clinic, which sold for more than $2,000.

The women then jumped into the bidding action when it came time to auction off a dinner for 10 to be prepared by Deidre Pujols and famed chef, Marc Felix. The top bid: $10,000.

Other live auction items included a diamond forever necklace from Ylang-Ylang valued at nearly $15,000, a Reactor watch, a concert package for Vince Gill and Amy Grant and a one-year lease of a BMW 335i Coupe.

Among the most notable silent auction items were an Albert Pujols game-used signed base from 2006 and Albert Pujols game-used signed cleats. Other items included the autographs of athletes Hank Aaron, Dick Butkus, Joe DiMaggio, Tony Dungy, John Elway, Wayne Gretzky, Stan Musial/Yogi Berra, Cal Ripken Jr., Michael Phelps and Tiger Woods and musicians Kenny Chesney, Charlie Daniels, Chuck Berry and Miley Cyrus. Vacation packages included trips to Maui, San Francisco, Destin and more.

In all, the evening raised more than $225,000 for the foundation, with the live auction proceeds going toward the Dominican Republic, with a goal to provide beds for the many who sleep on nothing more than a piece of plywood atop cinder blocks.

"It's nice to see how God has played a role in (Albert's) life, that he doesn't hide what God has done is so inspiring," said Dacia Heaton, program director for Building Dreams Ranch, which provides programs for at-risk children in Wentzville. "We're just a year old, and just to see what they've been able to do is so inspiring."

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

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