Miami Marlins Foundation hosts Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids with help of Marlins players

As the Miami Marlins Foundation hosted its annual Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids on Friday, July 19, Marlins players JT Chargois, Nick Fortes, and Jesús Luzardo helped make it another one to remember.

The Fantasy Camp for Kids Foundation provides kids with physical and intellectual challenges the opportunity to improve their skills by participating in one-day clinics hosted by Major League clubs. Each season, Marlins players help lead the clinic, presenting the kids with personalized Marlins jerseys before guiding them through various stations.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Fortes. “It’s something that I think is a privilege to have the platform to be able to do. You can just see on their faces how much it means to the kids. Every time I get an opportunity to do something like this, I love to do it.”

Fortes was not the only one to pick up on and appreciate the kids enjoying themselves.

“You could tell by the look on their faces how much fun they had,” said Chargois. “It was a blast, and it’s pretty cool to be a part of them having an afternoon of fun. It gives me a great perspective on how much grace there is in my own life, so it means a lot to me.”

With participants from the City of Hialeah and Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces, each station focused on a fundamental baseball skill, including hitting, base running, fielding, and throwing.

“I think this gave the kids an opportunity to do something that they never do,” said Genesis Torres, City of Hialeah Education Center Director. “It gives them a sense of importance, and they feel special. It also gives them involvement in a community that they sometimes get left out of.”

Kevin Devine, City of Hialeah STEP Ahead Program Manager, shared this sentiment, adding, “These kids face challenges every day and have to overcome a lot. With the community’s help and help from the Marlins, they can feel like they have a bright future. We’re all proud to be a part of this, and it’s an amazing thing that brings a sense of community and hometown excitement for the Marlins.”

For Myrna Vaca, Executive Director of the Marlins Foundation, this is the impact that she aims for the Foundation to have on the community.

“There’s a lot of value that we can bring,” she said. “First and foremost, hosting this clinic helps deserving kids develop a love of the game and gives them a core memory, while also anchoring community ties.”

According to Torres, the clinic accomplishes exactly that.

“I can assure you that the kids will cherish this memory forever,” said Torres. “They’ve come in past years and look forward to it every year. They talk among themselves about the jersey and how they get to play with some of the players. They talk about it all year long until it comes again.”

Marlins players continuing to take the time to participate and provide these priceless memories is not lost on Vaca.

“I think the fact that these players came out shows the commitment of the team and the organizational culture to developing these community ties,” said Vaca. “It really shows their commitment to South Florida as their home and to the culture of giving back.”

For more information on the Miami Marlins Foundation, visit Marlins.com/Foundation.