11/24/09 1:33 PM EST
CHICAGO — A 4-year-old boy who has leukemia is going to Disney World, his father said, because of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Cubs catcher Koyie Hill is trying to help more kids get that opportunity.
On Dec. 5 in Wichita, Kan., Hill is hosting a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. More than 2,000 people have committed to the event, and Hill said they should raise more than $100,000. It's his chance to give back.
"Growing up, I don't think there are many baseball players who didn't have somebody they looked up to," Hill said Monday. "I always thought it was a big treat when you finally got to meet that guy and he was everything you thought he was. I just think it's good when people are in a position to make a difference and they do it."
The event has been a lot of work but it's been a labor of love. Hill has been involved in everything from the performers — country star Tracy Byrd will perform — to the gift bags. And he's happy to do it.
"I don't know if 'obligation' is the right word to use, but I've always felt strong about giving back to this community in Wichita," he said. "They've been so gracious to me and my family during my playing career, both at Wichita State and in my professional career. It's nice to give back and help the people who helped you and supported you. They didn't think twice about coming out and being your fan."
The event will be held at the Hartman Arena in Wichita and feature a performance by Byrd and a local cover band, Three Ring Circus. There will be a silent auction of a variety of items and several connected to the Cubs, including a "W" flag signed by the players, a pair of Derrek Lee's cleats and the No. 42 jersey he wore on Jackie Robinson Day, Ted Lilly's game-used hat and Hill's own catcher's gear.
So far, they've sold 79 of the 88 VIP tables (they seat eight people), and general admission tickets are still available at $65.
If you can't go and still want to bid on the items, there will be proxies and phone numbers available closer to the date of the event (bigwishkansas.com). Hill had no problems getting donations.
"Everybody was great," he said. "That's baseball. It's just one big happy family."
Hill has done charity events before, and this year has a fundraiser on tap to benefit the Southwest Boys Club in Wichita to revamp their fields. But those events raised between $10,000 and $15,000. The Make-A-Wish event is much bigger.
Former Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe will be the emcee, and current Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster will handle the live auction, most likely switching to his Harry Caray voice. Other Cubs players such as Mike Fontenot and Randy Wells are expected to attend.
Three or four Make-A-Wish families also will take part, and some of the kids will model the jerseys that are available in the auction.
"[The money raised] will touch so many lives," Hill said. "It's amazing the joy it brings to them and how much relief. You can only imagine what the families are going through. They're hoping they can do something good to take their minds off the treatments or the hospitals or the whole routine that they have to deal with. It really does make a difference.
"It sounds kind of cheesy — you hear people say, 'You can touch somebody's life.' That's really what you're doing. It means tons to the people who get to enjoy what you raised."
Jerry Brown knows that. He wrote a message on Hill's Web site, thanking the catcher for the event.
"As the parent of a 4-year-old who has leukemia and the soon to be recipient of a wish trip to Disney World," Brown wrote, "I wanted to let you know that the upcoming trip is all my son talks about and helps him to be strong in all of his trips to the doctors and to keep taking all of his medications.
"I just thought you might want to know from a parent that what you are doing really does make a difference."
Hill is hoping Cubs fans pitch in. There are autographed baseballs signed by a variety of athletes and celebrities, from Hall of Famers like Ryne Sandberg and Ozzie Smith to Cooperstown-bound players like Greg Maddux and Albert Pujols. There are autographed jerseys and bats, items donated by Ryan Theriot, Alfonso Soriano, Prince Fielder, Trevor Hoffman, Jim Thome, Lou Piniella, Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez and Manny Ramirez.
Are you a football fan? There are footballs autographed by Mike Ditka, Roger Staubach and Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija, a Gayle Sayers "Kansas Comet" signed photo and a Chicago Bears replica helmet. Fans can bid on being a bat boy for a day at a Cubs home game or Spring Training game, as well as four tickets to a Cubs game and the chance to meet players on the field.
It'll be quite the party.
"The other day, my wife was saying how she is blown away by how everybody has been so willing to help and the response that we've gotten has been unbelievable," Hill said.
There wasn't one meeting with a child or one hospital visit that motivated Hill to organize the event. His dream has been to play in the Major Leagues, and he nearly lost the chance after a freak accident in which he severed three fingers and the thumb of his right hand with a table saw. It could've ended his career. This season, Hill was the iron man catcher on the Cubs. He made 26 consecutive starts when Geovany Soto was injured.
"There are kids 2 1/2 years old to 18 years old and they have dreams," Hill said. "It's not just about learning to throw a baseball — if that was the only problem they had, then life would be great. Some of these kids wake up and they're trying to make sure they breathe that day or make it through the week or that year.
"I'm not comparing by any means my accident, but you realize that some of these kids have no choice at all — they just wake up with cancer or leukemia or they're just dealt a bad hand. Not one time do they complain. It's their life — they live it, they love it. It's nice to be able to go to Disneyland or watch the Cubs play or meet somebody they look up to, and it helps them take their minds off what's going on."