THE PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT BASEBALL -- AND HOW TO SNAG ONE AT A MAJOR LEAGUE GAME




Snagging baseballs for charity

 

 

You know how some people run marathons for charity and get their friends to pledge money for every mile? Well, that's sort of what I've done for the last two years, and I'm doing it again in 2011 -- except my marathon is the entire Major League Baseball season, and I'm snagging balls instead of running miles.

I'm raising money for a non-profit charity called Pitch In For Baseball (PIFB) that provides baseball equipment to underprivilged kids all over the world. In 2008, for example, when Hurricane Ike destroyed Galveston and other parts of Texas, PIFB helped get the Little Leagues back up and running by replacing all their damaged gear. Within the last couple years, PIFB has supported a youth softball program in Ecuador, an orphanage in Haiti, a school in the Philippines, and dozens of Urban Initiatives right here in America. PIFB has shipped equipment and uniforms to more than 65 countries (including Poland, Uganda, Israel, Iraq, Nicaragua, and the Cook Islands) and over 250 communities around the United States.

Not only is PIFB keeping kids interested in baseball, but it's also keeping them off the streets, giving them a chance to exercise, and helping them find their passion.


Ecuador

Haiti

Philippines

America

This is where I'm hoping you'll come in. One way to help, of course, is to donate equipment directly to PIFB, but another way is to pledge a small amount of money for every baseball I snag during the 2011 season. There's no telling exactly how many balls I'll end up with (which kinda makes this whole fundraising process more fun), but if you take a look at my previous yearly totals, you'll get some idea of what to expect.

For the sake of doing some simple math, let's say I end up snagging 1,000 balls. If you were to pledge two cents per ball, you'd end up donating $20 to this cause. If you were to pledge one dime per ball, that would be $100. And so on. If I end up snagging 1,200 balls this season and you pledge 25 cents per ball, that would amount to a donation of $300. Got it?

How much money am I hoping to raise? What exactly will the money be used for? Is this charity legit? (Totally!) What are some of their other projects? Are donations tax deductible? Why am I even doing this?

Click here to read the FAQs.

Making a pledge only takes a minute, and once you're done, you'll have the option of adding your name and web site to the list of donors below. I've raised more than $12,000 over the past two seasons (including a generous donation from Padres closer Heath Bell), and with your help, I hope to keep supporting this cause. Thanks very much for your consideration...

Click here to pledge.



2011 totals: 131 games, 1157 balls, 62 donors, $7.48 pledged per ball



DONOR PLEDGE
(per ball)
TOTAL PLEDGE
(so far)
DONOR'S WEB SITE
       
Linda Brandt$0.50$578.50tomboyshavemorefun.blogspot.com
Annelise Howell$0.50$578.50
Rob Cundari$0.50$578.50www.technicallywrite.ca
Linda Paczkowski$0.50$578.50
Macuity, LLC$0.25$289.25www.macuity.com
Chris Wood$0.25$289.25www.pacmedia.ca
Selma Sequeira $0.25$289.25
Ellen Elmaleh$0.25$289.25
Stuart Vance$0.25$289.25www.arrghptoo.com
Joe LaRosa$0.25$289.25
Naomi Hample$0.23$266.11
Mimi Park$0.21$242.97
Stacey E. McGlone Gemmill$0.21$242.97
Barry Wendell$0.20$231.40barrywendell.blogspot.com
Matt Nippins$0.20$231.40
Arthur Pincus$0.18$208.26www.pitchinforbaseball.org
Argosy Book Store$0.16$185.12www.argosybooks.com
Wayne Cimons$0.15$173.55
El Burrito Restaurant$0.15$173.55elburritobend.com
Henry Hample$0.14$161.98www.henryhample.com
Anonymous$0.13$150.41
W. Smiley$0.11$127.27
Darren Meiss$0.10$115.70
Cathy Gary$0.10$115.70
Brendan (Helmet Guy) Sammon$0.10$115.70
J.W. Nicklaus$0.10$115.70www.avomnia.com
Brenda Fuhr$0.10$115.70www.twitter.com/taintedidealist
The Cooks$0.10$115.70cookandsonbats.mlblogs.com
Mike & Alex$0.10$115.70
T & C Nicklaus$0.10$115.70
Danny & Nettie Wood$0.10$115.70
Jona Jolley$0.07$80.99giggleanddance.blogspot.com/
Dan Cox$0.06$69.42facebook.com/DancoxAkron
Andrew Gonsalves$0.05$57.85www.dontfeedtheanimals.net
Matthew Hiett$0.05$57.85
The Haltom Law Firm, P.C.$0.05$57.85www.thehaltomlawfirm.com
Mateo Fischer$0.05$57.85mateofischer.mlblogs.com
Ryan Sloan$0.05$57.85
Krista Saunders$0.05$57.85www.gtrainsalon.blogspot.com
chris varvaro$0.05$57.85www.chrisvarvaro.com
Adam Norbjerg$0.05$57.85
Catherine Nevins$0.05$57.85
Mike Davison$0.05$57.85
Stuart Jon Traynor$0.04$46.28www.sjtarchitect.com
Ben Greenwood$0.04$46.28ScrabbleCoach.com
Dave Power$0.04$46.28
Dorkys Ramos$0.03$34.71dryastoast.blogspot.com
Christian Argueta$0.03$34.71
Andrew Meeusen$0.02$23.14reperiovulpes.blogspot.com
Ross Finkelstein$0.02$23.14
Heather Hoopes$0.02$23.14
Benjamin Weil$0.02$23.14www.mygameballs.com/baseballdata?db=piazza
Ryan Whelan$0.02$23.14
Michael Bardwell$0.02$23.14
Matt Huddleston$0.01$11.57nofavoriteteam.mlblogs.com
Brittany Sanders$0.01$11.57
Avi Miller$0.01$11.572131andbeyond.mlblogs.com/
Chase Anderson$0.01$11.57
Gary Rosenthal$0.01$11.57
100 Fundraising Ideas$0.01$11.57www.100fundraisingideas.com
Sam Teichman$0.01$11.57
chris$0.01$11.57

62 Donors$7.48$8654.36