ST. LOUIS -- There's a hospital in Haiti that's been open for only a year, but has saved thousands of people, delivered over a hundred babies and continues to treat one hundred people a day. It's due in part to the fact Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright plays fantasy football.
Wainwright's sixth-annual Big League Impact Fantasy Football Live Draft took place Friday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Fans got the opportunity to draft in leagues with Wainwright and other Cardinals players, including Carlos Martinez, Matt Carpenter, Michael Wacha, Miles Mikolas, Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty and Mike Mayers, to raise money for worthy causes. Along with the draft, fans got a tour of Busch Stadium from Wainwright, and played catch on the field.
The event filled all the available seats for the several leagues drafting Friday. All are PPR-based (points per reception) leagues, drafted in serpentine fashion, using stickers and a draft board in front of the tables where the participants sat. Each table was comprised of 11 team owners and four co-owners that will compete against the Cardinal players' teams. The fans play a full fantasy season against each other, including head-to-head matchups against players.
"Everybody thinks they know a little something about football," Cardinals broadcaster Mike Claiborne said. "Everybody has got an opinion, so obviously you have a chance to put your money where your mouth is in this situation for a very worthy cause."
Over $2.5 million has been raised since 2013 when Wainwright started this event.
"It's probably one of the highlights of my whole career," Wainwright said. "Besides a World Series or something like that, I'm not sure there's been a more rewarding thing than knowing we started something that, you know, we've raised over two and a half million dollars now doing things like this."

The proceeds from the event will assist Cardinals Care, Striking Out Poverty, Crisis Aid International, and Big League Impact's Global Initiative Fund. If there are fans that didn't get to participate in the draft, but want to be involved, they can donate on the Big League Impact Website.
The players split up to several leagues, with each league donating money to the player's corresponding cause, with the option to send money to the other charities at the event.
Wainwright's goal is to fund his hospital for a month, which requires a thousand dollars a day. Wacha is part of a sustainable cocoa project. Mayers and Weaver have adopted baseball fields in the Dominican Republic to assist in those communities. Mikolas is raising money for refugee homes for victims of sexual predators in St. Louis, and Carlos Martinez is participating for Tsunami Waves.
While the focus was on the charities involved and the draft to be had, it was also a celebration of Wainwright. Since starting the event, seven other clubs have joined: the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Padres, Reds, Twins and Diamondbacks. His idea in 2013 continues to save lives. Also, Wainwright's birthday was on Thursday.

"He turned 27 for the 10th year in a row," Claiborne said.
Wainwright smiled to the surprise of a cake and a gift: a cane with streamers, delivered by Weaver.
As he prepared to blow out the candles, he had a question for the fans.
"What do I wish for?" Wainwright asked.
One yelled out, "How about a first overall pick?"
Wainwright laughed.
"That's a pretty good wish."