Homers for Health/K’s for Kids Overview Homers for Health and K’s for Kids is a fan-engaging home run and strikeout pledge program led by St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday and his wife Leslee, a member of our Board of Governors, who want to share our mission with Cardinals Nation. In just four years, the program has raised more than $2.7 Million to benefit sick and injured children who come to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in need of care.
2012
Fans can pledge as little as 25 cents for every home run hit or strikeout thrown by a St. Louis Cardinal in the regular and post-season. This multi-channel fundraising program includes radio, television, outdoor, print, web, social media, direct mail, public relations, event signage and more, reaching the dedicated and loyal fans of Cardinals Nation. Homers for Health is celebrated at every home game at Busch Stadium. Just after each home run is hit and the fireworks go off, the ribbon boards and scoreboard signage switch over to Homers for Health, showcasing the program at the height of the in-stadium home run celebration. The strikeout program is also featured on our outfield K’s for K’s board and video board signage. Homers for Health started in 2012, chaired by St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday, and his teammate David Freese. Together they helped to build a child-friendly Imaging and Diagnostic Center at the hospital. The Imaging Center provides patients the lowest dose radiation in a colorful and soothing environment, where children can watch their favorite movie on a flat-panel screen in the CT suite and also select a soothing, colored theme for the room. Thanks to our donors, a more relaxed environment was created, resulting in the number of patients requiring sedation to be significantly reduced.
2013
In its second year, 2013, Allen Craig joined Matt Holliday and David Freese in chairing Homers for Health. Pledges continued to support Cardinal Glennon kids, transforming the hospital into a more child-friendly environment, including the renovation of the new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Costas Center.
Stan’s Number Six: In 2013, 169 fans made a special pledge of $6 or more per homer in honor of the late Stan ‘the Man’ Musial. Their names are proudly displayed on a 7-foot “Stan’s Number Six” statue at the hospital to honor Stan’s many years of fundraising for Cardinal Glennon kids.
Following in Stan’s footsteps, in year three, 2014, Jason Motte and Adam Wainwright joined Homers for Health co-chairs Matt Holliday and Allen Craig with their K’s for Kids program, asking Cardinals fans to make a pledge for every strikeout thrown by a Cardinals pitcher. Also in 2014, Matt Holliday created his elite “Holliday’s Heroes” donor club, for those who pledge at least $7 per homer or 75 cents per strikeout. Donors who make the Holliday’s Heroes pledge each year are featured on the #7 statue at the hospital and invited to a year-end celebration with Matt & Leslee Holliday.
2014
In 2015, Matt Adams, Matt Carpenter and Trevor Rosenthal joined Homers for Health co-chairs Matt Holliday and Adam Wainwright for the fourth year of the program. Homers for Health & K’s for Kids pledges came in from all 50 states raising more than $1 million for Cardinal Glennon kids! Donations will go towards renovating inpatient cancer care on the fourth floor.
2015
4th Annual GAME BALL RELAY GBR16 - SAVE THE DATE: Home Opener - Monday, April 11- Downtown St. Louis Anyone who lives in St. Louis knows that the Cardinals home opener is celebrated each year by thousands of fans filling downtown St. Louis and Busch Stadium in a sea of red. However, not everyone can get tickets for the much anticipated kickoff to the baseball season, so Matt Holliday and the team at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital created something to celebrate the hours leading up to game time - the Homers for Health Game Ball Relay. Started in 2013, the event kicks off the Cardinals home opener with a 50-100 person relay team carrying the official home opener ball on a journey through the streets of St. Louis. From there it makes its final leg into Busch Stadium to do a lap around the field with a Cardinals legend and a child patient.
Game Ball Relay - Honorary Chairman 2013 – Ozzie Smith 2014 – Chris Carpenter 2015 – Lou Brock
Click here to watch the 2015 highlights!
4th Annual - HOME RUN DERBY CHAMPIONSHIPS SAVE THE DATE: May 6, 2016 – Forest Park Central Fields There is nothing better to see than kids helping kids –even better, healthy kids helping sick kids! Each year, schools throughout the area participate in Homers for Health and K’s for Kids fundraising activities. Students can pay to dress down in Cardinals gear, participate in raffles for autographed items, or battle it out against their classmates in the Homers for Health Home Run Derby, a wiffle ball competition held at their schools. Winners from each school advance to the Home Run Derby Championships held at Forest Park’s Central Fields. Each year our co-chairs coach a field of about 300 kids, helping them in the batter’s box and posing for a keepsake photo. With their parents, friends and family members cheering them on, nearly 2,000 people enjoy the great fun, food, bounce houses and plenty of excitement for all in this great community event. To date 50 area schools have raised more than $100,000 through Homers for Health and K’s for Kids fundraising activities.
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3rd Annual HOMERS
FOR HEALTH GAME SHOWS
SAVE THE DATE - June 16, 2016 Ballpark Village Everyone loves to watch their beloved Cardinals players on the field, but not everyone gets a chance to see how they are off the field. The Cardinal wives always want to get in on the fun, so they created the Homers for Health Game Shows! Attracting thousands of fans and up to 20 Cardinals players each year, along with their wives, this event lights up Ballpark Village year after year. Matt Holliday and his teammates play hilarious game shows on stage like Clubhouse Feud, Wed to Red, Let’s Make a Steal, All-Star Match and more. After the event, each game is broadcast on Fox Sports Midwest to seven million subscribers throughout six states.
Click here to watch the 2015 highlights!