ZACK HAMPLE BALLHAWKING FOR YOUTH BASEBALL & SOFTBALL 2024

First things first: I’m giving away some HUGE baseball prizes to people who donate, including a stunning Wilson A2K Pro-Stock Select glove, a personalized Birdman wood bat, a loaded Evoshield gift basket, and a various autographed items such as an Andrew Vaughn signed jersey and a baseball signed by 7x MLB All-Star, Michael Young!

Now that I have your attention . . .

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 over a decade now, and I’m doing it again in 2024, except my marathon is the entire Major League Baseball season, and instead of running miles, I’ll be snagging baseballs in the stands at Major League Baseball games.

I’m raising money for a non-profit charity called Pitch In For Baseball & Softball (PIFBS) that provides baseball and softball equipment to underprivileged kids all over the world. Some highlights include:

• Helping 1.7 million kids play ball since 2005

• Over $10 million worth of equipment donated annually in overlooked communities

• Teaming up with over 12 Major League teams including the Mets, the Twins, the Reds, and many others.

• Providing the gift of play to thousands of children in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico with the help of MLB superstars like Jose Ramirez

PIFBS has shipped equipment and uniforms to more than 117 countries and every state in the U.S.. Not only is PIFBS keeping kids interested in baseball and softball, but it’s also keeping them off the streets, giving them a chance to exercise, and helping them find their passion.

This is where I’m hoping you’ll come in. One way to help, of course, is to donate equipment directly to PIFBS, but another way is to pledge some money for every ball that I snag before, during, and occasionally after games this season. There’s no telling exactly how many I’ll end up with (which kinda makes this whole fundraising process more fun), but if you take a look at this list, you’ll get some idea of what to expect.

For the sake of doing some simple math, let’s say I end up snagging 500 baseballs. If you were to pledge one penny per ball, you’d end up donating $5 to this cause. If you were to pledge 10 cents per ball, that would amount to a $50 donation. And so on. You must pledge at least 10 cents per ball (or make an equivalent $30 donation) to be eligible to win the Wilson A2K and the Birdman Bat.

I’ve raised more than $200,000 over the past ten or so seasons, including a huge donation from the Yankees after I snagged Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000th career hit and gave the ball to him. In 2013 BIGS Sunflower Seeds donated a large sum, and four years earlier, All-Star closer Heath Bell also donated to my fundraiser. With your help, I hope to keep supporting this cause, and if you donate, you’ll be eligible to win some awesome baseball prizes as I mentioned at the top. Thanks very much for your consideration.

-Zack Hample