The St. Louis Cardinals and Cardinals Care, the team’s charitable foundation, are excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Redbird Rookies, a free non-competitive baseball and softball program for kids ages 5-13. In addition to providing uniforms, equipment and instruction on the fundamentals of baseball and softball, Redbird Rookies provides support off the field in the areas of health, education, mentorship, cultural arts, and scholarship.
“Thanks to the generous support of our players and fans, Cardinals Care has invested nearly seven million dollars in the Redbird Rookies program, serving 50,000 kids since its establishment in 2004,” said Michael Hall, Vice President, Community Relations and Executive Director, Cardinals Care. “We are especially grateful to our corporate and community partners for their support over the years.”
Fans can support the Redbird Rookies program by participating in Cardinals Care fundraising initiatives including the 50/50 Raffle, Silent Auctions, the Cardinals 5K and the annual Winter Warm-Up, or by simply donating to Cardinals Care. There are currently 14 Redbird Rookies Leagues across Missouri and Illinois. Fans can visit redbirdrookies.org for information.
Cardinals Care is also pleased to announce the launch of Cardinals RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) for kids ages 14-18. From its inception in 1989, RBI has grown from a local program for boys in South Central Los Angeles to an international campaign administered by Major League Baseball that encompasses more than 200 cities and as many as 150,000 male and female participants per year.
While the program has been available to teens in the St. Louis area through Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club since 1990, Cardinals Care, who has supported the program financially for more than a decade, will officially move the program under its umbrella in 2023 to provide greater baseball and softball opportunities for youth who age out of the Redbird Rookies program.
The St. Louis Cardinals RBI program, presented by Nike, will operate with the mission to increase participation and diversity in the game of baseball and softball with a focus on underserved and under-represented communities. Registration will open later this month for the 2023 season. Fans can find out more information by emailing [email protected].
