MLB All-Star Jamie Moyer Giving Back In Bradenton

Over the course of the past decade, what started out with the selfless concern of one 15-year-old girl has evolved into the largest national network of support for children overcoming the grief incurred from the loss of a loved one or from a relative battling drug dependency.

Soon, that support will extend to Bradenton, thanks to Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen.

In 1998, Erin Metcalf was battling liver cancer when the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted her wish to attend spring training with her favorite baseball team, the Seattle Mariners. There, she met Jamie, then pitching for the Mariners, and Karen. Although Jamie would later go on to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series win in 2008, he credits the charitable efforts that Erin Metcalf inspired as his greatest accomplishments.

After meeting Metcalf, the Moyers founded The Moyer Foundation, which has been recognized with numerous philanthropy awards, including the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award that Jaime Moyer received in 2003 for his work with the foundation.

The Moyers, who have resided in Bradenton since 2008, were inspired by Metcalf’s grace, courage, and vibrant personality. Most of all, they were touched by the concern she held for her family in the face of the battle she knew she might eventually lose against cancer. This concern is what inspired the Moyers to found The Moyer Foundation in 2000 to provide support for bereaved children between the ages of 6 and 17.

“What I kept thinking about was that Erin was so concerned about her sisters,” Karen Moyer said during a 2010 interview for an ESPN special on The Moyer Foundation.

Erin Metcalf passed away in June, 2000 at the age of 17. In 2002, The Moyer Foundation’s Camp Erin opened its gates for the first time. As of this summer, The Moyer Foundation will have established 42 bereavement camps throughout the United States, attaining their goal of creating a camp in every major city. In Florida, there are two camps — one in nearby Tampa and the other in Miami.

The camp logo is a blue heron because Erin’s parents said that every time they drove her to the hospital, they would see one of the majestic birds. Karen Moyer said that at every camp she has attended, she’s seen a blue heron at some point — evidence that Erin’s influence carries on strong.

On the surface, these camps are indistinguishable from typical summer camps, full of fun bonding activities for children of all ages. Look deeper, however, and the healing element runs deep.

“When a child loses a loved one, there are a lot of difficult questions," Jamie Moyer said. "Where do you go? Who can you turn to? These kids may turn to other family members, friends, school teachers — but a lot of times, ‘I’m sorry’ is where it ends because people just don’t know how to deal with it or they’re dealing with their own grief."

Moyer — who is a free agent and is recovering from Tommy John surgery — went on to explain that each camp has a grief counselor present, and the camp activities are geared toward helping children cope and deal with their grief. Some of these activities include poetry writing, clay molding, and even plate throwing to help release feelings of anger.

“The camps are set up to help kids deal with their grief and remember the person they’ve lost in a positive manner,” he said. “And also to help these kids build friendships and find support; to know they’re not alone.”

Another need to fill

The reach of The Moyer Foundation goes beyond bereavement camps. The Moyers are also building and funding camps to assist children dealing with the challenge of living with family members who struggle with drug addiction.

Upon realizing that there were no programs for children dealing with an addicted or co-dependent parent in the United States, the Moyers set about creating Camp Mariposa in Washington.

“If there’s a need, she’ll fill it,” Jennifer Aspelund, a friend and volunteer with The Moyer Foundation, said of Karen Moyer. “She’s very independent and strong-willed. She’ll start anything that will help others.”

The Moyer Foundation’s latest project is the creation of a similar camp in Bradenton. According to The Moyer Foundation’s website, 11 percent of children in the United States — 8.3 million kids — live in a home with a parent in need of treatment for alcohol or drug dependency.

Having met local children who are struggling to thrive in homes where their parents are battling addiction, the Moyers saw the need for a camp within the Bradenton community that would be modeled after Camp Mariposa.

“That’s one of the beautiful things about the Moyers,” Aspelund said. “They embrace every community they live in.”

The goal is for this camp, like Camp Mariposa, to meet bi-monthly, six times throughout year, with weekly counseling provided for the children on a weekly basis between the camp's meetings.

The camp as well as the counseling will be free to the children, funded entirely by the donations from The Moyer Foundation, making fundraising a critical element to its success. The Moyer Foundation hopes to raise a total of $85,000 to cover the costs in Bradenton.

, the indoor cycling studio that Karen Moyer owns and operates in Bradenton, hosted its first annual fundraising event, the Cycle-Thon, on April 16, and collected $16,000 to put toward the camp.

On Saturday, The Moyer Foundation will be hosting its next big fundraising event, the , at . Rock band will be headlining the event, with other celebrities such as retired MLB pitcher Scott Eyre, players from Bradenton’s own Marauders minor league team, World Series of Poker runner-up John Racener, and Jamie Moyer himself also in attendance.

“Teaming up with We The Kings is a lot of fun for us,” Karen Moyer said, “and it is going to do so much for the kids.”

Along with music and bowling, the event will also feature a silent auction of prizes such as signed memorabilia from major league players and popular entertainers like Mariah Carey and Beyoncé, helicopter tours of Sarasota, and a week-long stay at a beach house on Anna Maria Island.

Registration is still open for teams to bowl in the event, costing $1,000 per team. For more information about the event and registration, contact Kara Sharp at kara@moyerfoundation.org.

“Jamie and I have always cared about the communities that we’ve lived in,” Karen Moyer said.

“Camp Mariposa has had a profound effect on addiction, and we really hope the local community will join us in embracing this project as its own.”