Home Run 'Hit The Mitt' To Help Young Athletes
By Stan Bush
DENVER (CBS4)- Rockies sluggers have a new target. Every time players hit a home run that "Hits the Mitt" sign over the left field tunnel UCHealth will donate $5,000 to Gold Crown, a sports-centric non-profit in Lakewood.
"The more home runs, the better," said Manny Rodriguez, chief marketing and experience officer for UCHealth. "We all love seeing our Rockies players fire up their bats. Now, every time one of them hits this sign, they'll be scoring for the team and helping kids live healthy, extraordinary lives. Gold Crown does a great job of providing opportunities to kids who otherwise wouldn't have them."
Gold Crown offers competitive sports to hundreds of kids. It's located directly behind All-Star Park, a recreation of Coors Field, off Alameda Avenue.
The program helps tutor kids with schoolwork and sports. Parker Teff, a 14-year-old from Littleton, say the access to basketball has helped him hold off some of the worst effects of cerebral palsy.
"I come out her four times a week practicing," says Parker. "I just like to get the ball in my hand."
Parker's family comes to Gold Crown four days a week. They say watching Rockies games will have a new importance for this this summer.
"Every time you see someone hit that you know the money going in is going to help so many people," says Autumn Teff, Parker's mother.
Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.
