Cole Hamels and his wife Heidi donated their Missouri mansion to a charity that provides camps for children with special needs. (AP)
Cole Hamels, the Texas Rangers star pitcher, and his wife, Heidi, are donating their Missouri mansion and 100 acres of land to a charity that provided camps for children with special needs and chronic illnesses and their siblings.
The massive 32,000-square foot home, worth an estimated $10 million, would be donated to Camp Barnabas. The home, located in Table Rock Lake, was located near one of the charity’s camps.
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“There are tons of amazing charities in southwest Missouri. Out of all of these, Barnabas really pulled on our heartstrings,” Hamels said in a statement. “Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve; there is truly nothing like it. Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way.”
The organization, which described itself as “meeting the needs of people with disabilities so they can have an incredible camp experience and learn more about Christ,” said the donation would help it “change thousands of lives for years to come.”
The home, which contained 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, two kitchens, a two-car garage, and an elevator, was not completely finished on the inside, The Washington Post reported. The pitcher started construction on the mansion in 2012 and planned to live him and Heidi’s dream home. However, he was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Texas Rangers and they had to relocate. The family was never able to move into the mansion.
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The donation followed star golfer Jordan Spieth’s recent donation to the camp. Spieth would cover the costs of the camp for 100 children for a week, the Springfield News-Leader reported.
The gift from the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation is absolutely incredible,” Krystal Simon, Camp Barnabas' CEO, said. “Because of their generosity, we get to say yes to more campers. We also get to say yes to the parents who champion for their kids tirelessly throughout the year, but for one single week they get a chance to just breathe. To know that their children are safely and wonderfully cared for.”
Golfer Jordan Spieth also made a donation to Camp Barnabas. (Reuters)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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