Major League Baseball, the MLB UMPS CARE Charities and the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital honored an annual tradition of delivering Build-A-Bear teddies to young patients in the pediatric division.
Bill Miller, Ben May and Roberto Ortiz, part of the umpiring crew for the ongoing Guardians-Blue Jays series, hand-delivered the furry stuffed bears to the eager children.
With parts of the upcoming Superman movie being filmed in Cleveland, the bears came with an added superhero twist: Superman and superhero outfits to decorate their new stuffed toys with.
“We wanted to bring the excitement of the Superman movie to the kids in the hospital and to their caregivers,” said Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt, executive director at UMPS CARE Charities.
“There is a lot of excitement in Cleveland because the Superman character was created by Cleveland high school students and because the city will be featured in the film.”
The umpires, through the support of UMPS CARE, also delivered 100 superhero masks and capes to the children, while Warner Bros. donated Superman movie posters and the Guardians provided bobbleheads for all.
“This was a way we could capture that fun for kids who are facing medical challenges,” Skolochenko-Platt added. “The umpires can deliver Build-A-Bear stuffed toys and Superman swag as a way to let these kids get their minds off of their treatment for a bit and have fun.”
The young patients also had a chance to meet the Guardians’ beloved mascot Slider, who wore his superhero cape, and the hospital's therapy dog, sporting its own pink superhero cape.
The umpire crew also provided child life specialists – health professionals who assist patients and their families as they go through the challenges that come with long-term pediatric care – with a special on-field meet-and-greet.
This visit marked the 231st Build-A-Bear visit by UMPS CARE Charities since the non-profit's founding in 2006, with a total of over 20,000 stuffed toys donated to children in hospitals across the United States and Canada.
Major League Baseball, UMPS CARE Charities, the Major League Baseball Umpire Association, the Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Phoenix Theatres Great Northern Mall and Warner Bros. all worked as monthly donors to make this event possible.
