Charitable Assistance
In addition to the Whitecaps’ own charitable cause, the Whitecaps/YMCA Inner City Youth Baseball Program, general partners Lew Chamberlin and Denny Baxter have worked to expand the team’s charitable programs, which they feel are an important responsibility for the organization.
The facilities at Fifth Third Ballpark have given us a wonderful opportunity to assist many non-profit organizations with their fundraising efforts by making the ballpark available to them for special events on non-game days. Some of the events that we host annually are:
Catholic Social Services “Let’s Go to Bat for Kids” charity softball game.
Gus Macker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament benefits the Grand Rapids Public Schools.
Burn Survivor Car Show that raises funds for the Spectrum Health Burn Center.
Throughout the year, the parking lot is utilized for many fundraising walks and runs. Some of the organizations that host those events are: The National Kidney Foundation, Easter Seals, Cystic Fibrosis, and the Exchange Club.
We also hold Charity Softball Games to benefit the Children’s Museum and the Women’s Lawyers Association.
The Whitecaps also support several other local organizations during the season such as the Special Olympics, Kid's Food Basket, Guiding Light Mission, American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish, DeVos Children's Hospital and the Autism Society of Kent County and Michigan Steps Up.org.
The Whitecaps Reading Club rewards local kids for meeting individual reading goals during March, National Reading Month. Over 70,000 West Michigan children participate in the annual program.
We also offer a limited number of organizations the opportunity to hold a 50/50 raffle in the stands during games. Half of the money collected goes to the lucky raffle ticket winner and the other half goes to the participating non-profit organization. Many organizations have been assisted by our raffles; such as the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, Easter Seals, ALS Society and the National Kidney Foundation.
In addition to all of our other charitable fundraisers, our group ticket department offers the opportunity for your group to enjoy a Whitecaps Baseball game, while helping to raise money for your cause. You can organize a group outing to a game and a portion of the ticket price will benefit your organization.
