Homerun Hopefuls is currently accepting donations as part if its eighth annual drive
to be brought to the Dominican Republic in August, 2010.

Thank you so much to all of our volunteers for their invaluable efforts running collection drives, including:

Teddy Herman and Stephen Brand- Riverdale Country School, donations can be made at Hackett Hall, contact sbrand [at] riverdale.edu or therman [at] riverdale.edu

Matt Neibart- Annandale, NJ

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 The Good People Fund, the St. Louis Cardinals, and Nike for their generous support.