On Friday, June 12, 2015, nearly  2,000 children and families watched the Cardinals win 4-0 against the Kansas City Royals as part of Catholic Charities Go-to-Bat for Kids Night at the Ballpark. Over the past 15 seasons, more than 30,000 children have experienced the joy of a Cardinal game through the generosity of donors to Catholic Charities of St. Louis. This year, the Carrillo Family from St. Francis Community Services-Southside Center threw out the first pitch to get the game started. The Carrillo family has long been involved with St. Francis Community Services-Southside Center. Susana Carrillo was an active member of the Latina women’s Support group for many years when she and her family first arrived to the United States.  The women’s support group surprised her with a baby shower for her 2nd child as a way to help her and her newly growing family feel welcome to the community. Through this agency, she was able to take English classes and then able to receive her GED.  This year, the Carrillo family accessed dental services with Southside through the Healthy Kids Express Program offered through Saint Louis Children’s Hospital.  This program is important, because it provides free dental care to children for a year so that they can fight tooth decay, one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States.

Thank you to all of our sponsors of “Go to Bat for Kids”. Everyone had a wonderful time rooting for the Cardinals!