This Major League Baseball player is being hailed for hitting a philanthropic home run after he donated a $9.4 million property to help special needs children.
Cole Hamels, who has served as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Philles and the Texas Rangers prior to his current position with the Chicago Cubs, recently donated the estate to Camp Barnabas, a nonprofit that facilitates summer camps and exciting experiences for special needs children and kids with chronic illnesses, as well as their siblings.
The property includes 100 acres of land and a 32,000-square-foot mansion that is located on the shoreline of Table Rock Lake.
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Hamels and his wife donated the property through their foundation, making it the largest donation that Camp Barnabas has ever received.
“Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve; there is truly nothing like it,” Hamels said in the statement. “Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way.”
The Hamels had originally planned on making the property into their dream home, but after the World Series MVP was traded to the Rangers team, they moved to Dallas.
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Based on the reactions of the charity workers, however, the property is certainly a dream come true for them.
“This gift is a game-changer,” said Barnabas director of marketing Andrea Harp. “The lives that will be changed as a result of this will have a ripple effect for years to come. Already, it’s so surreal seeing the Barnabas mission and the story covered on national outlets. That is the Barnabas mission being shared way beyond our corner in southwest Missouri. It’s incredibly rewarding. People who have never heard of Barnabas before, who don’t know who we are, now know who we are and know our passion.”
Today we address the public regarding the generous gift given by @ColeHamels and his wife, Heidi.
— Camp Barnabas (@CampBarnabas) December 19, 2017
Watch our press conference live: https://t.co/Jabu3VYM3N
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What an awesome couple. Things like this make me smile a wide smile. More sports stars with their money should think about others too.