Some people just have it figured out. Cub's starter Randy Wells Give Back

Randy Wells



char·i·ty (chr-t)
n. pl. char·i·ties
1. Provision of help or relief to the poor; almsgiving.
2. Something given to help the needy; alms.
3. An institution, organization, or fund established to help the needy.

If you aren't a baseball fan, or maybe a casual fan you may not recognize the name Randy Wells.  He is the third or fourth starter for the Chicago Cubs.  He posted the definition of charity on a Facebook page yesterday.  I think we all need a reminder that no matter how far we rise in our lives, we need to remember there are many who need help just to get by.  Randy remembers this, and demonstrates it on a regular basis.

I first met Randy when he was about 8 years old.  His older brother Forry played for the University of Illinois in both football, where he was a qb/punter and pitcher, 1st base, catcher, outfielder in baseball.  Forry was no doubt one of my favorite players I worked with and came from a family deeply rooted in the values you would hope all young men and women display.  Forry is a true "older" brother, 10 or 12 years older than Randy.  And like many younger brothers, Randy loved to watch Forry play, love to come to the park and play catch and hit in the batting cages and loved it when we asked him to be in the dugout as bat boy. 

Here's a photo with Randy on the far right, and his grandmother, mom, dad and brothers at senior day.

When Randy was called up to the Cubs, one of the first things he did was send out a note to all his friends inviting them to Belleville after the season for a fund raiser.  A friend of his has a sister with juvenile diabetes, and he was committed to helping.  He did, and has held a similar outing each of the past 3 years.  Several hundred thousand have been raised to date with more certainly to come. 

But he hasn't just made a commitment to this project.  The Randy Wells Foundation has fund raisers throughout the year for many causes.  He held Boot Bash in October along with country music pal Stoney LaRue, supporting vets returning from battle.  He has raised money for the Chicago Children's Memorial Hospital, the Wounded Warriors Project and lent a hand to many other events showing up or donating to the cause.  I'm going to borrow a paragraph from his foundation website because it captures Randy's heart better than I could ever hope to.

Playing for the major leagues is a dream that Randy Wells lives out every day.  On the mound, Wells' main focus is concentrated on strikeouts. Off the mound, the major leaguer makes it a priority to strikeout obstacles that prevent children from achieving their dreams. He was forever changed after meeting five-year old brain cancer patient Carter Kettner. “Here was this boy who showed no signs of what he was going through.  His perseverance against these physical struggles was such an inspiration,” says Wells of the encounter with Kettner. “The fact that the team was able to brighten his day just touched me in a special way.” Randy developed a friendship with the Kettners. Sadly, things were put into perspective for Wells after Carter lost his battle to cancer in May of 2010. “I just realized there were a lot of kids out there like Carter who needed support and care day in and day out,” says Wells.

Here is a link to his foundation website:  http://www.randywellsfoundation.org/

A long time ago, maybe just maybe I helped 8 year old Randy touch his dreams for a day when we suited him up in a batboy uniform.  And while that doesn't even come close to the kind of things Randy has done for young men like Carter, it's a reminder that each of us have a obligation to do what we can, when we can. 

Thank you Randy for reminding us all that not every professional athlete is self centered and uncaring.  You are a hero to many, especially me!