Jason Motte and Adam Wainwright crash Matt Holliday and Allen Craig’s Homers for Health Press Conference

JUPITER, FL  (March 10, 2014) –  St. Louis Cardinals Matt Holliday and Allen Craig announced the kickoff of the third year of their home run pledge program,  Homers for Health, Powered by Peabody to benefit SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center.

To the astonishment of fans, the sluggers were interrupted by two very ambitious teammates at today’s press conference at Roger Dean Stadium. It seems pitchers Jason Motte and Adam Wainwright want in on their charitable efforts, and announced their plans to launch K’s for Kids, a new twist on the Homers for Health program. This year, fans will be able to pledge for every home run hit by a Cardinal hitter or for every strikeout thrown by a Cardinal pitcher.

Co-Chairs Holliday and Craig accepted their challenge. “If Jason and Adam want to be a part of Homers for Health, that’s great. It means more money is going to come in for Cardinal Glennon kids, and that’s what we are all here for,” said Holliday. “But, they have to prove themselves first, we are not letting them in that easy. We take this seriously, and everyone has to be put through an initiation.
Motte shared his enthusiasm in leading the pitchers in their strikeout efforts. “Everyone knows pitchers typically don’t hit a lot of home runs, so we’ve felt a little left out,” said Motte. “Adam and I are going to get the pitching staff motivated and do our share for the kids. This year, strikeouts won’t just get us out of jams; but they will also help patients and families through some tough situations.”

Peabody Energy is back as Presenting Sponsor in their third year with the program. Many of their employees have made pledges and volunteered at events. “We all want to see children be healthy and thrive, and that makes this program very important to Peabody and the larger St. Louis community,” said Greg Boyce, chairman and chief executive officer of Peabody Energy. “We are excited to again play a role in this important mission to help kids. For us, this is more than philanthropic support – it’s a true community partnership.”

Also announced were plans for the second year of Game Ball Relay (GBR14) . The relay of the official Rawlings game ball will take place on home opener Monday, April 7, where a 125 person relay team will carry the ball across the city, with the final leg ending at the pitcher’s mound at Busch Stadium.

Laclede Gas Company is joining the program this year as Presenting Sponsor of a new event, the Homers for Health Game Shows , to be held Thursday, April 10 at Ballpark Village. During this exciting night of fun, food and entertainment, fans will get to watch their favorite Cardinals play “Clubhouse Feud,” “Let’s Make a Steal” and more, with proceeds benefiting the medical center.

“Many of us at Laclede are parents and we want to help the children in our community. We are excited to partner with these Cardinals players to raise funds for the children and families of Cardinal Glennon in new and unique ways,” said Steve Lindsey, president of Laclede Gas Company.

To date more than $1 million has been raised for Homers for Health, with contributions going to build a new Imaging Center and renovating the Emergency Room at SSM Cardinal Glennon. Funds were also used to help launch Sports Care, the medical center’s injury prevention program for young athletes.