Nick Adenhart's family starts memorial fund

By BOB PARASILITI
May 8, 2009
bobp@herald-mail.com

 

WILLIAMSPORT — Nick Adenhart got the chance to live his dream.

Now, through a memorial fund started by his family, young baseball players across the country will have a chance to pursue theirs.

Adenhart, a 22-year-old Williamsport High School graduate, died April 9 as the result of a traffic accident in Fullerton, Calif., just hours after pitching for the Los Angeles Angels.

The family of the former Halfway Little League and Hagerstown PONY League star has started the Nick Adenhart Memorial Fund, which is designed to provide financial support to youth baseball organizations.

“There is a definite need,” said Janet Gigeous, Adenhart’s mother. “At all the various places Nick played, he has gone out with the players in the community and had seen it. Now, with the economy the way it is and natural disasters, like the floods that were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when he was out there, the leagues need help.”

The fund is being managed by Geier Financial Group in Marriottsville, Md., of which Adenhart was a client. Gigeous said there won’t be promises of huge donations to leagues, but rather of money to help them survive.

“(Adenhart’s stepfather) Duane (Gigeous) and I both served as the president of Halfway Little League when Nick was coming through,” she said. “We saw how much money it takes to run the league. After paying for insurance, bats, balls and uniforms, there isn’t much left for anything else.”

Janet Gigeous said the fund hopes to soon have a Web site where leagues can go to see its objectives and how to request assistance. The organization has a commitment from Major League Baseball’s Web site — www.mlb.com — to post information about how to contribute to and make requests of the fund on the home page of every major league and minor league team.

“We plan to spread out the funds to help make ends meet,” she said. “It will be fairly targeted. It will be tough to impact any of the leagues for this year, but we’ll be looking at organizations. Our goal is to get the information out in the next 60 days. We have been asked by a lot of people and a lot of clubs about it.”

Most of the donations to date have been made locally, Janet Gigeous said.

“Most of the checks that we have received have been for $34,” she said. “That was his (uniform) number, so that’s nice.”

 

Donations to the Nick Adenhart Memorial Fund may be made in care of Geier Financial Group, 2205 Warwick Way, Suite 200, Marriottsville, MD 21104.

MLB Article Regarding the Fund

 

Project 3000 at the University of Iowa at the University of Iowa

Two Major Sports Figures Team Up to Fight an Important Cause of Childhood Blindness

Chicago Cubs star Derrek Lee and Boston Celtics CEO and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck have decided to combine their talents to eradicate a disease that has touched both of their families, Lebers Congenital Amaurosis or LCA. They call their effort "Project 3000" because a central part of their plan is to find every man, woman and child affected with LCA in the United States - about 3000 people.

LCA is an inherited form of blindness that is usually apparent shortly after birth. In most cases, affected children are otherwise completely healthy but a subset of children do have other problems such as learning disabilities, autism, seizures, or kidney disease. At least nine different genes are currently known to cause the disease and as a group these genes are responsible for about 65% of all cases. It is not currently possible to restore vision to affected people although this has been accomplished in animals affected with similar disorders. It is expected that treatments will soon be ready for testing in human beings and for most of these treatment trials knowledge of the disease-causing gene will be important.

The discovery of the genes that cause LCA and the availability of useful tests for disease-causing alterations in these genes are both so new that most affected individuals are currently unaware that such testing exists. Project 3000 seeks to identify every person in the United States affected with LCA and offer them state of the art genetic testing on a nonprofit basis through the John and Marcia Carver Nonprofit Genetic Testing Laboratory at the University of Iowa. For affected families who lack health insurance, philanthropic donations will be used to reduce the cost of the testing.

There IS something you can do - Click here to find out more.

 

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The Tug McGraw Foundation

Tug McGraw was a unique man who left an indelible mark on baseball, with his enthusiasm and joy for the game he loved.  He touched the lives of the thousands of adults and kids he met during his major league career and after retirement, with his tireless efforts on behalf of community and charitable organizations everywhere.

The Tug McGraw Foundation was formed last year to fight brain cancer, the disease that affects children and adults, and which took the life of Tug McGraw.  

Tug McGraw passed away on January 5, 2004, at 4:45 PM (CT) at his son Tim's home outside of Nashville.  Tug had been battling a brain tumor since being diagnosed and undergoing surgery, in March, 2003.  

In 2005, The Tug McGraw Foundation was formed by Tug to raise funds for medical research for brain tumors, and to support those who are faced with the challenges of this disease.  Fans and friends who would like to support Tug's mission can send donations to The Tug McGraw Foundation.  The Foundation address is 217 Parkside Lane, Glenside, PA 19038.

Wear your support!

Now you can show your support for the Foundation and Tug's vision to help others face the challenge of brain cancer with the new #45 Ya Gotta Believe Patch and the 45YGB Bracelet.  The square patch, seen below left, features Tug's number 45, the new Tug McGraw Foundation logo and "Ya Gotta Believe," all embroidered on a white background. 

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The new bracelet, being worn by Tug's son Tim McGraw and members of the Philadelphia Phillies, seen below, is white synthetic leather with red laces.

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http://www.tugmcgraw.com/HomePage.html

 

 

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