NEW YORK – September is annually recognized nationwide as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Major League Baseball is fully committed to that cause while providing resources in the fight against childhood cancer.
In addition to the on-field demonstrations by all 30 clubs earlier this month, MLB has also partnered with the non-profit organization Project Sunshine, which specializes in volunteer and engagement opportunities for corporate employees to give back to hospitalized children across the country.
On Wednesday, more than 30 MLB employees in the league’s New York City office gathered to pack 1,000 “Kits4Play” activity kits, which Project Sunshine will then distribute to young patients across the city. These kits are filled with various games and play-based activities that can help take one's mind off the stress of cancer treatment.
Project Sunshine, which has operated for over 25 years, has a primary mission of delivering “the healing power of play to children with medical needs through passionate and dedicated volunteers,” according to the non-profit's website.
Their belief in the benefits of play, especially for children experiencing severe health issues, is the driving force behind these volunteer events.
As Meghan Moloney, CEO of Project Sunshine, said, “there's nobody that understands the value of play better than the team at MLB.”
“Play is magical, when you practice and have fun and do things that are a little bit competitive, that let you try new things, something special happens inside you,” Moloney continued. “And when that's not available to kids because they're dealing with medical challenges … that's where these kits come in.”
These kits are meant to provide a reprieve or mini-escape from the harsh realities that come with cancer treatment, in particular when the patient is just a child wanting to live a normal life, which is why support from organizations like Major League Baseball matters so much.
“Under our MLB Together platform, we're founding donors of Stand Up to Cancer … along with some other organizations to provide other forms of play to kids,” said Amelia DeCeanne, senior coordinator of community affairs for MLB.
“This volunteer experience, we really just wanted to work off the field with our employees, get them engaged,” said DeCeanne. “I have had multiple employees come to me and tell me that these sorts of kits have impacted either them when they were a kid, or their own children as they're going through treatment.”
According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, each year in the U.S. there are over 15,000 children between birth and 19 years of age who are diagnosed with cancer.
These Kits4Play are small gifts that can uplift a patient and their family, especially when they need as much outside strength and support as possible.
“To be honest, I love to give back,” said Louis Flecha, a training manager for the customer experience department at MLB. “Volunteering for me is a special feeling, and I absolutely love to give back. If there's an opportunity for me to do so when I can, I will.”
Flecha is one of many MLB employees who have attended multiple volunteer events hosted by MLB Together in the past, showcasing how the league encourages philanthropy and community service as core pillars of its organization.
“Baseball is a worldwide sport. We all know that,” said Flecha. “MLB is known all over the world, so the fact that they allow us to give back to certain communities and to certain causes by volunteering is just nothing short of awesome.”
These Kits4Play can serve as signs of hope and encouragement for the young pediatric cancer patients receiving them, providing them and their families a reason to smile during extraordinarily difficult times.
To learn more about volunteer events like these and how you can support the fight against childhood cancer, visit mlb.com/mlb-together/childhood-cancer-awareness-day.