Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida is holding an auction:

For the 16th consecutive year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida will provide local sports fans a night to get to close to their heroes when it presents "Sports * Stars * Wishes . . . The Make-A-Wish Ultimate Sports Auction." The event -- which includes players, coaches, executives, and alumni from the Miami Heat, Florida Marlins, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and University of Miami Hurricanes -- will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning broadcaster James "JB" Brown, host of the "NFL Today" on CBS.

Taking place Friday, March 27 (6:00 p.m.), at the Broward County Convention Center, the fundraiser (www.ultimatesportsauction.net) features a cocktail reception, dinner program, live and silent auctions, and "Club Wish, the Ultimate After-Auction Club" featuring DJ Irie. Athletes and South Florida sports figures mingle with fans throughout the evening and take turns as auctioneers in a live auction that includes one-of-a-kind experiences, trips, entertainment, and jewelry.

Proceeds from the sports auction go toward granting the wishes of local children who have life-threatening medical conditions. To date, this event has raised more than $3.5 million, enough to make dreams come true for 820 children in South Florida.

Here's video:

It's a great cause.

Via My Baseball Bias, Kat O'Brien returns from the Dominican republic with this word on Robinson Cano:

We happened upon a bunch of kids practicing in San Pedro de Macoris, Robinson Cano's hometown. They were all wearing jerseys with Cano on the back, and a coach told me Cano had bought uniforms for the entire league - about 6,000 kids. He also bought two ambulances for the town. So he is really beloved there, the coach said even more so than fellow natives Sammy Sosa and Alfonso Soriano. What people like best is that Cano still comes back in winter, often sitting and watching kids play baseball on Saturdays.

Here's O'Brien's full story on her trip to the DR, with video.

Fergie and Friends allows you to play baseball with Hall of Famers for a donation of $2500 to charity. It's expensive, but I can see where this would appeal to many baseball fans.

Shawn Haviland attended the Connecticut Sports Foundations Annual Celebrity Dinner and Memorabilia Auction Friday night. The main event was a roast of Goose Gossage. Blurry cam phone pictures were the order of the night. See the shot of Shawn and Graig Nettles at the above post. My good friend Jim Storer also attended and sends this cell phone picture of the Gossage autographed ball that was in his goodie bag:

Jim wanted to get a picture with Nettles, since when Mr. Storer was in college, he and Graig were the same height and weight.

Justin Morneau gives back to the community and serves up two surprises to a Minnesota family.

The Detroit Tigers Weblog promotes Curtis Granderson's charity:

Last year's event was a great family night out.

This year's sounds like one, too, especially if your family is made up of a bunch of teenage boys:

2008 Miss America Kirsten Haglund and 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year Sara Jean Underwood have committed to participate along with Project Runway Season 5 Designer Joe Faris. ESPN personality Dana Jacobson has also committed to play.

Just keep Dana away from the bar.

River Ave. Blues covers a news conference for the Torii Hunter Project. The foundation provides scholarships. Kudos to Mr. Hunter for giving back.

A charity dumps Roger Clemens:

Although Clemens helped raise millions of dollars for charities associated with the event, the Giff Nielsen Day of Golf for Kids was held Nov. 11 at Houston's Shadow Hawk Golf Club without him.

"Roger Clemens is no longer affiliated with the tournament," said Nielsen, a Houston broadcaster. "We decided we would go our separate ways until his off-field stuff is settled.

"I approached him, and as we talked, we reached a mutual agreement that we would put our relationship on hold. He was good about it. He said 'I agree with the decision."'

It's amazing how far Roger has fallen. He either should have kept his mouth shut after the Mitchell report, or come completely clean and asked forgiveness. He's taken a path that just dragged him down.

Tom Kackley is auctioning off Yankees memorabilia> to raise money for the Domestic Violence Project. Tom lost his sister to domestic violence, and over the last few years he's used his baseball connections to raise money in memory of his sister. Stop by and check out the items for sale.

Carlos Lee goes to bat for Texas cattle endangered by hurricane Ike:

Lee, who has ranches in Boling and his native Panama, is donating hay and planning fundraisers for the affected cattlemen in Chambers and Jefferson counties.

"Right now hay's probably the main thing they need," said TSCRA president Dave Scott of Richmond. "Most of these cattle will have to leave this area. This area is devastated. The salt water has ruined over 85 percent of the range area, so it's ruined for at least a year."

Lee, currently on the disabled list with the Astros, learned of the relief effort while visiting his friends at the J.D. Hudgins Ranch in Hungerford on Thursday. He volunteered to donate hay when asked by Coleman Locke, the president of the ranch and a member of the cattle association's Board of Directors.

"Carlos is a good friend and a fellow cattleman," Locke said. "When we told Carlos of the problem, he was very sympathetic (to) the cattleman in that area. There's no grass there. It's all under salt water and there's no feed for them. In those two counties there are about 20,000 cattle that have been displaced.

Good for Carlos.

WEEI and NESN are holding their annual Jimmy Fund Telethon today. If you'd like to donate to a worthy cause, you can do so here.

Here's a story about the Phillies touched by cancer and how the organization raises money to fight the disease.

Negro League star Art Pennington lost everything in the Iowa flood, including memorabilia. Dugout Central has information on how you can help.

Sam Borden is walking from Yankee Stadium to Shea Stadium between games of the double header on Friday to raise money for charity. He's close to his goal if you'd like to put him over the top.

Home Run Derby once again will donate $10 for every home run hit on Sunday to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Alan Schwarz writes about a different kind of baseball hero, Don Odermann. Odermann supplies college scholarships to Latin American players. Well worth the read.

River Ave. Blues is holding a fund drive to raise money for the Jorge Posada Foundation.

Craniosynostosis is a birth defect characterized by the premature closure of sutures in an infant's head, which causes an abnormally shaped skull and in severe cases, places excessive and damaging amounts of pressure on a growing child's brain. One in every 2,000 children are affected, with males being affected three times more than females. Jorge Jr., son of Yankee great Jorge Posada, was diagnosed with craniosynostosis when he was just ten days old, and has since undergone five surgeries to the correct the condition.

The Jorge Posada Foundation was launched in 2000 with the goal of providing emotional and financial support to families with children affected by craniosynostosis, as well as to provide funding for research and create further awareness of the condition. Since it's inception, The Jorge Posada Foundation has raised millions of dollars and provided immeasurable support to those in need, but there's still so much more that can be done. And that's where we come in.

Readers are asked to pledge a certain amount per strikeout by the big three, Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy. If you're a fan of the pitchers, or the catcher, or just want to help combat his defect, click over and pledge.

Congratulations to Bleed Cubbie Blue on their successful Project 3000 Fundraiser.

In a Wii coincidence, I received this press release yesterday:

2K Sports Partners With the Baseball Wives Charitable Foundation for Third Annual 2K Sports Videogame Challenge and Fashion Show As Major League Baseball® players get ready for Opening Day, a number of players from the Cactus League will be taking time out for charity to participate in the Third Annual 2K Sports Videogame Challenge, in partnership with the Baseball Wives Charitable Foundation, on Friday, March 7, at Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The event is open to the public, as more than 30 Major League Baseball players including Todd Helton, Dan Haren, Adrian Beltre, Hank Blalock, Huston Street, Milton Bradley, Gil Meche, Alex Gordon and many others will face off in a Home Run Derby contest to see who can hit the most long balls in Major League Baseball 2K8, the recently released videogame from 2K Sports. In memory of Joe Kennedy, former Major League Baseball pitcher, proceeds from the 2K Sports Videogame Challenge will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs in Denver and Oakland.

After the conclusion of the videogame tournament, the Baseball Wives Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the local philanthropic group Las Palomas, will be hosting a fashion show in which the wives and their children will serve as models. Tickets for the fashion show and dinner are available for purchase, and proceeds will benefit the Arizona chapter of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Alexis DelChiaro, Fox 10 news anchor and wife of Chicago Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall, will serve as emcee for the evening fashion show.

What: 2K Sports Videogame Challenge

In memory of Joe Kennedy, Major League Baseball players will compete in a Home Run Derby contest of Major League Baseball 2K8 to help raise money for Boys & Girls Clubs in Denver and Oakland.

Fashion Show

Player wives and their children will serve as models, as dinner will be served, and proceeds will benefit the Arizona chapter of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

Where: Scottsdale Plaza Resort

7200 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85253
Event: Friday, March 7th
2K Sports Videogame Challenge -- 5:30 pm-7:00 pm
Fashion Show -- 7:00 pm-10:00 pm

The Baseball Wives Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by wives of Major League Baseball players, has local chapters in each team's city that build on the strength of the community-at-large. The wives are committed to benefiting and enhancing the quality of life for communities across the nation with a focus on health, education and youth-related projects.

Major League Baseball 2K8, published by 2K Sports and rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, is now available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo.

For more information about the Third Annual 2K Sports Videogame Challenge, please visit: www.baseballwivescharitablefoundation.com.

According to the letter that came with the release, there will be a Wii set up where fans can challenge the players. Just as I received the email, a Wii was delivered to my front door. My daughter's friends pooled their funds and bought one for Melinda's birthday, which was last June. We finally were able to buy one late last week. I set it up last night and actually hit a home run during batting practice. :-)

The Tampa Bay Rays found out I was still sometimes using the name "Devil."
They've asked me to stop. I'll be sending in a $10 fine.

Keith Isley emails:

Readers may be interested in donating to the Montoyo Family. Charlie Montoyo manages the Durham Bulls and has managed in the Rays minor league system for eleven seasons. His son Alex was born last year with a heart defect, treatment of which has left the Montoyos with hundreds of thousands in medical bills. Thanks.

The Bulls will match $10,000 in donations.

Peter Gammon's annual Hot Stove Cool Music event has turned into an all weekend affair. It's an event worth attending and the proceeds go to a good cause.

The Soxaholix is asking you to help a Red Sox fan in need.

The Home for LIttle Wanders in Boston is holding an on-line auction. There are a number of sports items, including Fenway bleacher seats and a lunch with Dennis Eckersley.

The Rockies voted a post-season share to the Coolbaugh family.

Here's a press release for a worth cause:

Hundreds are expected to attend as 22 men's softball teams compete in a Labor Day Weekend tournament that will raise money for SHARE, a 31-year old organization that offers survivor-led support to breast and ovarian cancer victims, on Saturday, September 1st and Sunday, September 2nd, Pelham Bay Park Softball Fields, Fields 4 & 5, at Bruckner Expressway and Wilkinson Street, Bronx, New York. Mr. Met will be cheering on teams on Saturday September 2nd from noon until 1PM.

The tournament is sponsored by Verdero CTG, a sporting goods company founded and located in the South Bronx. Verdero CTG is the only Hispanic-owned company licensed by Major League Baseball to sell bats, gloves, and apparel to its players.

Verdero CTG has sponsored the tournament for the last eight years to celebrate the spirit of baseball in the South Bronx. Bats, gloves, t-shirts and other apparel will be for sale with all proceeds going to SHARE.

A mobile medical truck will be on site offering free screenings for Diabetes and Glaucoma and providing information on breast and ovarian cancer awareness.

Representatives from SHARE and Verdero CEO Jorge Medina will be onsite all day. SHARE cancer survivors will arrive during the afternoon each day to join in the festivities.

Medina, whose mother's cousin is a cancer survivor and member of SHARE, feels the community is often unaware of where to turn for guidance and education on breast and ovarian cancer.

DATE:	SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
	SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
TIME:	9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
PLACE:	PELHAM BAY PARK, SOFTBALL FIELDS 4 & 5
	BRUCKNER EXPRESSWAY AND WILKINSON STREET
	BRONX, NY

On July 21 and 22, 2007, the Red Sox Wives are holding their 16th annual food drive at Fenway Park. From the press release:

For two hours prior to game time, The Red Sox Wives will give an autographed picture of a Red Sox player (while supplies last) to fans that bring $10 or 10 non-perishable food items. The wives will be greeting fans making donations at Fenway Park's gates. The most preferred food donations are canned tuna fish, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, red and brown beans, and juice boxes.

The Boston Red Sox and their families are active participants in the fight to end hunger. Over the last fifteen years, The Red Sox Wives have raised over $140,000 in cash donations and 140,000 pounds of food. Over the two-day event at Fenway Park last year, they collected more than 2,000 pounds of non-perishable foods and received $30,196 in cash donations, the largest cash amount raised at the annual event. The Red Sox Wives hope to work with the fans to have another record-breaking year of donations for The Greater Boston Food Bank.

"We know we speak for many of the thousands of people we serve each year, when we thank the Red Sox Wives, the players and their loyal fans for playing a crucial role in getting quality food to the people who need it most," said Catherine D'Amato, President and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank. "Last year Karen Varitek, Kristin Mirabelli, Shonda Schilling, and Dawn Timlin were among the Red Sox Wives who collected donations and handed out autographed photos of the players. We look forward to another successful event in July."

Gates will open two hours before each game. Saturday's game (7/21) starts at 3:55 p.m. while Sunday's game (7/22) starts at 2:05 p.m.

If you have a food warehouse like Costco near you, it's real easy to buy a ton of canned food cheap (and it's all nicely shrink wrapped so it's easy to carry). Even if you're not going to the game that day, I'm sure you can come by the park and drop off your donation. And you can donate to The Greater Boston Food Bank online.

Two college students are visiting all thirty major league parks this summer to raise money for charity. You can contribute to their cause and follow their progress here. Just pledge a dollar amount for every home run hit while they are at a game.

Sean Casey didn't sleep much Monday night so he could feed the hungry:

When Sean Casey left Fenway Park [map] following Monday night's game against the Red Sox [team stats], the Detroit first baseman didn't return to the team hotel with the rest of the Tigers. Instead, he caught a ride to Lawrence in anticipation of a 6 a.m. wake-up call to prepare to feed the hungry at Cor Unum Meal Center. The center is run by the Labels Are For Jars organization (labelsareforjars.org) that Casey helped fund and found back in 2001 with his friend, the Rev. Paul O'Brien. The doors opened last autumn, but yesterday marked the first time Casey had been able to be in action and help feed, and then clean up after, more than 75 people.

"It was a dream five years ago and it was a reality today," said Casey before last night's game. "What for me was so special was that five years ago, Father Paul and I were talking about how wouldn't it be neat if we started the Labels Are For Jars group, and raise enough money with T-shirts and all to build a center to feed the hungry."

Casey met O'Brien through a mutual friend while attending the University of Richmond. The friendship grew when Casey played for Brewster in the Cape Cod League in 1994, when O'Brien was a priest in Concord. O'Brien officiated Casey's wedding and baptized his three children.

We hear so many bad things about ball players, it's nice to see them giving back to the community.

Father Paul is a friend of mine. His older brother Duncan and I played in the Harvard Band during our undergraduate years, and continued while Duncan attended law school. That's how I got to know Paul, who came in as a freshman the year after we graduated. (Middle brother Dan O'Brien is a tremendous baseball fan, I might add.) Paul is good friends with Conan O'Brien as well, although I don't remember if they were roommates or not.

Father Paul has an unusual talent. He gets his picture taken with famous people, but it looks like the famous person is meeting Paul, instead of the other way around. (Here's the Pope meeting Paul, here's Mother Teresa meeting Paul is the impression you get when you see the photos.) He's also one of the funniest priests I've ever met. I'm sure plenty of people attend his services just for the laughs. He's bright, he's funny and I fully expect him to be a Cardinal (Vatican, not St. Louis) some day, and it would not surprise me at all if he ended up Pope.

Minnesota scored in seven of the eight innings they batted last night as Detroit falls 16-4. The Twins blasted four home runs and Detroit added one to bring the total for Mothers Day to 28. In honor of Mothers Day, Baseball Musings made a donation of $280 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Dear Mr. Pinto,

I would like to thank you for your contribution of $280.00 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Your support helps Komen the Cure fulfill our promise to save lives and end breast cancer by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.

Since its inception in 1982, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has made great strides in the fight against breast cancer, funding groundbreaking breast cancer research, much of which has led to landmark discoveries in the quest to find a cure for and eventually prevent breast cancer. In addition to funding research, Komen works to increase breast cancer awareness and promote early detection through events like the Komen Race for the Cure Series. Proceeds from such events help fund community-based breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects for the medically underserved.

Again, thank you for your assistance and your confidence in our efforts. The success of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is made possible through the very generous contributions of corporations, organizations and individuals like yourself. Because of you, we are one step closer to finding a cure.

Once again, thank you for your support.

I hope you'll support this good cause, too.

Just a reminder that many MLB players swing pink bats today to support breast cancer research. Baseball Musings will donate $10 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for every home run hit on Mothers Day. And may all the mothers who read this blog have a wonderful day with your families!

Home Run Derby notes that Major League Baseball will use pink bats on Mother's Day again. HRD is going to contribute $10 for every home run hit that day to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. That's a great idea and Baseball Musings will do the same.

Think about sending a few dollars to The Rey of Hope Foundation.

Jeff Kallman details Jamie Moyer's work bringing joy to bereaved children:

The Moyers decided, wisely enough, that bereaved children should not have to remain as isolated in grief among their peers as occurred for too many generations. But they also did something about it. Already the creators of a foundation aimed at helping children in any kind of distress, the Moyers, parents of their own six children, opened Camp Erin, in Washington State, in 2002.

There came three camps in Washington state and one each in Idaho, Arizona, and Philadelphia, for whose Phillies Moyer now pitches. And Monday afternoon Moyer delivered an irresistible pitch: five years after the first Camp Erin opened, the work's beginning on expanding it to every city hosting a major league baseball team.

What a wonderful project! You can visit Moyer's web site for the project here.

The Boston Globe notes David Ortiz's work in establishing a pediatric cardiovascular unit in his home country:

Nearly 1 percent of children born in the Dominican Republic have some sort of birth defect that requires surgery. Because there is no pediatric cardiac hospital in the country, sometimes a US team of surgeons, in a mission of mercy, will save a few kids in a nation in which more than 1,000 children are in need. Few can afford the $40,000 operation in the United States. In the Dominican, the operation costs $5,000.

But Ortiz came through in the clutch again.

"We've already operated on four children thanks to David Ortiz's sponsorship," said Dr. Pedro Urena, president of Heart Care Dominicana, who studied at Brown University. "Some of the rooms are still under construction."

It's always nice to see ballplayers giving back to the community.

WEEI Radio and the Red Sox are running a radio/telethon for the Jimmy Fund today. You can find out more and contribute here.

Two Mets fans came up with a unique way to show their love for their team and raise money for charity at the same time. Stop by and say hi at their blog, Simply Amazin' Cause.

The AP gives Peter Gammons' new CD, Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old an excellent review. We also get this word on his health:

"He's making good progress, and everyone's encouraged with how he's doing at this point," Vince Doria, the ESPN news director who was also Gammons' boss at the Boston Globe, said Thursday.

Proceeds from the sale of the CD got to Theo and Paul Epstein's Foundation to be Named Later. Click here to purchase.

Evan Brunell, author of Firebrand of the American League, reveals today that he's been working for the charitable arm of the Red Sox for the last six months. He gives his take on the Red Sox offices and personnel. He didn't have anything to do with club operations, but it sounds like a fun job nonetheless.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are helping to revive ball fields in the Tampa-St. Pete area:

Oliver Field is the first field to be refurbished under the Rays Field Renovation Program.

"Given Oliver Field's historical significance to the area and its close proximity to Tropicana Field, it was the perfect place to begin this outreach program," said Matt Silverman, Rays' president, in a release.

Oliver Field is the home field of the St. Petersburg Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities League (RBI), a grassroots outreach program managed by Major League Baseball designed to promote interest in baseball, increase the self-esteem of disadvantaged children and encourage kids to stay in school.

Another example of the Rays new management being better in touch with the surrounding community.

Major League Baseball players have the options of using pink bats on Sunday to help raise money for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This is a subject near and dear to my heart, as I've had a close family member suffer from this disease.

Kevin Mench was among several Texas players who wanted their mother's names burned on the bats. The Rangers slugger, who homered in seven straight games earlier this season, also planned to have a bat for his grandmother, who died from breast cancer.

"My mom is the glue of our family, and I just want to do something to thank her for all that she has done," Mench said before Tuesday night's game against Minnesota. "At the same time, we are raising money for a great cause."

As Rich Braasch notes in an e-mail about the article:

What if somebody in a power drought like Teixeira or Sexson go nuts with the bat? Will they keep using it to not mess with the streak?

But of course!

George Steinbrenner rewarded a young Yankees fan for his charitable spirit:

A young New York Yankees fan who saved $1,000 so he could take himself out to a ballgame in the Bronx gave up the money to help keep his local school open. Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner found out about the boy's charity and invited him to New York.

"Jonathan, I couldn't be more proud of you," Steinbrenner wrote to Jonathan Farrar, a student in the Midland School District of Pleasant Plains. "I agree with you when you said, `The New York Yankees are important to me, but my school is more important.' You're absolutely right and it takes quite a man to give up his personal dream for a higher purpose."

George also replace the child's $1000. I saw The Boss give a speech at Harvard Business School after the 1978 World Series (it included the highlight film). One of the things Steinbrenner stressed to the B-School students in that address was giving back to the community. It looks like George is still living up to that himself.

The Devil Rays caravan ran into a clever youngster on Thursday:

Most of the kids walked through the line in an orderly fashion, accepting autographed pictures from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays while picking up a few goodies along the way - a knapsack, Devil Rays pencil, team sticker.

Then came 10-year-old Devon McDuffie. He had other plans.
McDuffie toted a box filled with candy he was selling to raise money for a school trip to Busch Gardens.

"You got Skittles?" Rays outfielder Joey Gathright yelled.

McDuffie had Skittles, and for a few moments Thursday afternoon at the 13th Avenue Community Center, it was hard to tell the ballplayers from the kids as a quartet of Rays scrambled for their wallets and the dollar bills necessary to do business with McDuffie.

It's good to see these ballplayers are still kids at heart.

John Dewan was my boss at STATS Inc. and my friend as well. I'm always known John to give back to the community in a very constructive way, and he's trying to do that once again with the Katrina relief effort. He writes:

Dear Friends,

Hurricane Katrina is the most devastating natural disaster to ever occur in the United States. One of the most remarkable things about it is the number of people affected who are extremely poor. In New Orleans alone, 35% of the population is below the poverty level. On top of that, the qualification for the poverty level is amazingly low. A family of four with income of $20,000 is not considered to be in poverty.

The focus of the Dewan Foundation ( www.dewanfoundation.org ) has always been helping the poor help themselves. We feel a special call to try to assist the poor involved with Hurricane Katrina.

For anyone who might be moved to join the Dewan Foundation in a common effort, we are proposing a matching gift program to assist hurricane victims. The foundation is committing $25,000 to Hurricane Katrina relief. Beyond that, the Dewan Foundation will match your contribution to the Dewan Foundation up to an additional total of $100,000 we receive through September 30. Think of this as a way to double your contribution.

We are especially focused in the area of rebuilding the education system, which we believe to be one of the most effective methods to fight poverty. We intend to move quickly and have already begun to make personal contacts in the Gulf area. We will report back to donors on the organization that ultimately receives the funds and on how the money will be used.

Hurricane Katrina has been a catastrophe of historic magnitude. Let this also be a time of historic generosity. We encourage you to open your hearts to the needs of those impacted by the hurricane, whether through the Dewan Foundation or any of the many other organizations doing important work during this crisis. If you have not already done so, please contribute generously to organizations providing relief assistance and to other charities helping hurricane victims.

Thank you.

John Dewan and Susan Dewan

The Dewan Foundation

To make a contribution to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund of the Dewan Foundation, please make a check payable to The Dewan Foundation and mail it to:

The Dewan Foundation

c/o ACTA Publications

5559 Howard

Skokie, IL 60077

I have no doubt your contributions to this foundation will be put to very good use.

This post is part of the Instapundit Blogburst.

I'm giving to the Salvation Army, Mennonite Disaster Services and the Humane Society. That's money for today, money to rebuild, and money for the lost pets.

We're also to suggest ideas, so here are a couple.

If you can, open your house to a homeless family. I don't know if anyone will make it up to Massachusetts, but I can put up a family of three or four. And get your town to find room in their schools for the children whose education is being disrupted.

Longer term we need training programs for the people who lost their livelihood. There is going to be lots of rebuilding, so training in construction skills would seem to make sense. When people are able to go back to these devastated areas, that where the jobs will be.

Good luck to all, and once again my thoughts are with you.

I'm watching the LA broadcast of the Dodgers-Cubs game, and the announcers saying that Dodger Stadium is open for donations to the hurricane Katrina relief effort. If you're in the area, here's your chance to help out.

For those of you looking to donate to help victims of Katrina, Glenn Reynolds has links to various charities that are involved in the relief effort. My thoughts are with everyone affected by this disaster.

We get so much negative news about players and people involved in baseball that it's nice to see a positive story once in a while:

Mike Matheny is excited about returning to St. Louis, and not because he played there for the previous five seasons.

The philanthropic catcher will be in Chesterfield, Mo., to attend the grand opening of a baseball field designed specially for disabled children. Matheny is the prime sponsor of the project, which he hatched after attending a fundraiser in November 2003 in Indianapolis by former Cardinals teammate Scott Rolen, another charity-minded player.

Good job, Mike.

Oh Say Can You Sing? is a new CD featuring 10 major leaguers, including Hall of Famer and American Idol dad Ozzie Smith singing their favorite songs. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the CDs goes to support the ballplayers favorite charities. As a bonus, you also get a DVD with features on the making of the album and outakes.

As for the recordings, I don't think any of these players should quit baseball to make their fortunes in the recording business. The best of the bunch is Aubry Huff singing Letters from Home. He expresses real emotion in this recording. Kelly Wunsch does a good job with Hurts So Good, but he's just doing Mellencamp, not adding anything original.

Ozzie Smith show off his falsetto in an otherwise flat rendition of Cupid. He's technically fine, but the song lacks fire. He needs to do the equivalent of a back flip, but we just get him trotting out to shortstop.

If you have a favorite player on the album, it might be fun CD to put in your collection. Buy it to help out charities, but don't expect to be wowed by the music.