Charity Stripe: Big Papi Plays Wiffle Ball To Help Kids

Red Sox DH David Ortiz played Wiffle Ball with 30 kids yesterday in an event covered by NESN after three Harvard Business School grads paid $30,000 at an auction for Good Sports Inc., which donates sporting goods for city youths. Last year, Good Sports collected more than $1.2M worth of sporting equipment. The nonprofit organization partners with sporting goods companies to turn “every dollar raised into $2 of equipment.” In ’05, the group helped 42,000 kids with equipment, footwear and uniforms. Good Sports operates in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and it has partnered with Ortiz to help in his native Dominican Republic. The group also plans to expand nationally, with Philadelphia “the next target” (Stan Grossfeld, BOSTON GLOBE, 10/17).

MYERNICK FUND: The U.S. Soccer Foundation has created the Mooch Myernick Fund, named after former men’s national team assistant coach Glenn “Mooch” Myernick, who died last week from a heart attack at the age of 51. Proceeds will go towards grants given to “soccer clubs and organizations in urban areas to help create and sustain soccer opportunities for local underserved children” (L.A. TIMES, 10/17).

FORGIVENESS TOUR: Graham and LuAnn Snyder, the parents of late Thrashers C Dan Snyder, have started a tour of all 30 NHL cities, “giving speeches about the power of forgiveness and teamwork and trying to raise money for the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation.” The Snyders are attempting to raise enough money to build an arena in their hometown of Elmira, Ontario (Terry Koshan, TORONTO SUN, 10/14).

RACING TO HELP: The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes and Atlanta Motor Speedway have partnered to sell “hero bands” to NASCAR fans. All proceeds from the sale of the bracelets will help provide financial support and assistance to wounded soldiers (919 Marketing)....Speedway Children’s Charities is partnering with GetEtched.com to give race fans “an opportunity to carve a family photograph onto black granite walls to be built at all six [SMI] tracks.” The spaces can be purchased for $300 each (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/15).