MLB Umps Bring Build-A-Bear Workshop To Sick Phoenix Kids

PHOENIX, AZ — Umpires and referees are among the most loathed people in professional sports because their calls can mean the difference between a win and a loss and a chance at post-season play — or not. But in Phoenix, four MLB umpires got a lot of love after delivering cartloads of teddy bears to patients facing life-threatening illnesses at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The four-man umpiring crew showed up at the hospital before Tuesday’s Arizona Diamondbacks game and treated the kids to a Build-A-Bear Workshop. The interactive events, where kids choose clothing and other accessories for their stuffed animals, are usually held in stores, but their illnesses put the those experiences out of reach for the children.

Not surprisingly, several of the kids decided to dress their stuffed animals in tiny Diamondbacks uniforms.

The umpires held the workshop as part of a program offered by UMPS CARE Charities, founded by MLB umpires to provide financial, in-kind and emotional support for America’s youth and families in need. (Get Phoenix Patch’s real-time news alerts and free morning news letters. Like us on Facebook. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app.)

The umpires helped the children decorate their bear condos — their carrying cases — and just spent time with them, television station KNXV reported.

According to the charity’s website, the youth-based programs “enrich the lives of at-risk youth and children coping with serious illness by providing memorable baseball experiences, supporting pediatric medical care, and raising awareness for foster care children waiting to be adopted.”

Photo via Shutterstock / designs by Jack