(The Homerun Hopefuls website is currently being reconstructed.)

Homerun Hopefuls is preparing for its ninth annual trip to the Dominican Republic in July, 2011, to personally distribute 74 boxes of baseball equipment and clothing to children throughout the Dominican Republic. Thank you to everyone who helped make this our biggest collection ever.

Homerun Hopefuls would like to thank all of our middle school and high school volunteers who worked so hard to collect equipment for our 2011 drive:

Stephen Brand (sbrand@riverdale.edu) and Teddy Herman (eherman@riverdale.edu) :

Riverdale Country School

Matthew Neibart (matt2763@aim.com) and Jessica Neibart (jessneibart@gmail.com):

Annandale, NJ

Max Kalikow (mkalikow1@yahoo.com):

The Salisbury School, Hotchkiss, Indian Mountain School, Berkshire School, and Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School

Drew Simone (jsimone@optonline.net)

Garden City, NY

Grant Hynes (lthynes@aol.com) :

Syosset, NY

Alex Smith :

The New York Gothams

About Homerun Hopefuls

Homerun Hopefuls is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that collects both new and gently used baseball equipment for impoverished children in the Dominican Republic.  The organization functions on a kids helping kids philosophy that emphasizes the common bond of baseball in children of diverse backgrounds.

Primary Objectives:

1)  To allow impoverished Dominican youth to pursue the sport of baseball by providing them with all the necessary equipment.  This program was founded upon the realization that our American youth enjoy a privilege that many children in the Dominican Republic can only dream of.  Our goal is to share the invaluable life-lessons that baseball offers, including teamwork, dedication and responsibility.

2) To provide an opportunity to elementary and high school aged children in the United States to participate in an engaging activity that instills the values of philanthropy and demonstrates each participant’s ability to effect positive, tangible change in the lives of others.

From the Founder, Brett Kalikow

I founded Homerun Hopefuls in 2002 as a sophomore attending Riverdale Country School, NYC. While on vacation in the Dominican Republic, I traveled outside our resort in search of a local baseball game to play in. What I found was quite disturbing - kids of all ages, who were unable to even afford shoes, were using milk cartons as baseball mitts, rocks as balls, and large sticks as bats. Since my baseball coach and many players on my summer team are Dominican, I felt a special connection to these children. Upon returning to New York, I was determined to begin a drive to collect baseball equipment for the underprivileged youth of the Dominican Republic.  Since then, Homerun Hopefuls has conducted annual drives to collect baseball equipment and clothing and has traveled to the Dominican Republic to personally distribute the collections.

Beneficiaries of the program are chosen based on solicitations and input from local contacts and Dominican government authorities to ensure that the equipment and clothing reaches the hands of the neediest children.

Since the 2005 annual trip, Homerun Hopefuls has been accompanied by American youths who have organized collections for the charity.  For information about holding a drive or joining Homerun Hopefuls to the Dominican, please see our Donations page.

Homerun Hopefuls would like to take the opportunity to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Monumental Shipping and the Marriott Renaissance Jaragua Hotel in Santo Domingo for their support.