How to Help Children Through the David Ortiz Foundation

Learning how to help children through the David Ortiz Foundation can be a great family or individual project for the holiday season of giving and throughout the year. For New Englanders who follow the Red Sox, the name David Ortiz is synonymous with home runs for the Boston Red Sox. When Sox General Manager Theo Epstein announced on Nov. 4, 2010 that the Red Sox were picking up the option on David Ortiz for the 2011 season, there were lots of smiles among Sox fans.

But Red Sox faithful aren't the only ones who have come to rely on David Ortiz. Children in the Dominican Republic and across New England have been on the receiving end of medical care thanks to the efforts of the man Red Sox fans call "Big Papi"

David's interest in the health needs of children was sparked in large measure by a visit he made half a decade ago to a children's care facility in the Dominican Republic. Having good health himself and being blessed with the good health in his children, it was hard for David not to be moved by the children he saw who were faced with recovering for various heart related surgery.

One year later Papi waded into the area of financial outreach. After the baseball season was over Papi held a huge fundraiser and through private donations and a silent auction gathered up a tidy sum that he later delivered to CEDIMAT Hospital in the Dominican Republic.

But Papi was just getting started. Since that first foray into the field of philanthropy on behalf of children, David Ortiz established his own foundation, the David Ortiz Children's Fund. With the help of sponsors like the International Hospital for Children and Massachusetts General Hospital David Ortiz has stepped up, but not to the plate. He has stepped up to meet the needs of children for quality critical pediatric care both in his birthplace, the Dominican Republic and throughout his baseball home, New England.

Throughout the year David keeps busy both on and off the field. Fans follow his progress through spring training and during the regular baseball season, checking things like his batting average, number of homers and slugging percentage. But there is a lot more going on in David Ortiz's life than just baseball. David helps to orchestrate major fund raising efforts for his Foundation that add dollars to what he is able to bring in from private and corporate donations.

For the last few years Papi has organized what has become the Annual David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic. This year's event will be held in Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, December 2-5, 2010. There will be plenty of celebrities present and more importantly lots of money raised to help children.

David Ortiz will long be remembered as a baseball hero in New England but David has plenty of fans that love him for his kindness and generosity and the hope he has given them . Anyone can join David in his effort to bring critical care to children in need by clicking on to his website.

Sources:
www.sports.espn.go.com
www.davidortizchildrensfund.org