Mark and Sarah Ellis partner with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Reds Community Fund and Rawlings to provide specialty helmets for youth baseball league

LOS ANGELES -The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that Dodger second baseman Mark Ellis and his wife, Sarah, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, the Reds Community Fund, and Rawlings have partnered to provide specialty helmets and fit kits for the Union City baseball league.

During the Major League All-Star break in July, a young boy was at his all-star team practice in Union City, Indiana. Dylan Williams, 8, was playing first base when a teammate threw a ball to him when Dylan wasn't looking. Dylan was struck on the head and neck area and collapsed. Tragically, Dylan died a few days later.
 
While most youth baseball leagues require players to wear helmets only when they are batting or on the base paths, and some leagues require pitchers to wear specially designed helmets at all times while pitching, there are helmets available that are specially designed for players to wear through the entire game.

While growing up in Rapid City, South Dakota, Mark Ellis played American Legion baseball in a league that required all youth to wear protective helmets. He wore this type of helmet until he went to college. When the Ellises heard Dylan's story, Mark and his wife Sarah knew they wanted to do something.

"Sarah and I are very excited to have the Williams family and Dylan's teammates at the ballpark with us in Cincinnati this weekend," stated Mark Ellis. "We hope to raise awareness for the Dylan Williams foundation through our participation this Saturday and honor his memory." 
 
Those interested in helping other kids and other leagues may do so through the Dylan Williams Always an All Star Foundation via the Pacesetter Bank in Union City. The foundation creates awareness for organ donation, promotes field safety for kids and educating people on the importance of having automatic external defibrillators at ball fields.