The foundation of Colorado Rockies pitcher Jamie Moyer that helps grieving children scored a huge win today with a $1 million grant from the New York Life Foundation, the largest donation in the athlete’s philanthropic work.
The grant, spread over three years, is focused on sustaining ‘s Camp Erin programs, which are free bereavement camps for grieving children and teens. One of the camps opened in the Boulder-Denver area in 2010 as part of Moyer’s goal to establish one in every city with Major League Baseball. That goal was attained this year.
“Every child deserves to live life with hope, comfort and support,” Moyer and his wife, Karen, said in a statement Monday. “The work of both New York Life and The Moyer Foundation … provides children and families in distress with both the potential and the necessary resources to live on and live well.”
The grant will also allow the 12-year-old foundation to expand its services and fund its annual Bereavement Camp Conference, which caters to grief professionals. The foundation supports nearly 40 camps and has offices in Seattle and Philadelphia.
“The need among bereaved children is greater than commonly thought,” New York Life Foundation president Chris Park said in a statement. “In fact, according to a recent study, one in seven children will experience the loss of a family member (or close friend) before the age of 20, which puts children at risk.”
This year’s local camp will be held Aug. 10-12 at Camp Wondervu, just 40 miles west of Denver, in partnership with HospiceCare.
New York Life funds will also support the National Bereavement Resource Guide,
David Migoya: 303-954-1506, dmigoya@denverpost.com, Twitter.com/DavidMigoya, Facebook.com/david.migoya
