ST. LOUIS, MO
The St. Louis Cardinals welcomed their newest rookie to the Majors last Saturday: Zac, a brave 6 year old boy battling Leukemia, lives and breathes Cardinals baseball. Thanks to a generous contribution by Kretschmar® Premium Deli Meats and Shop 'n Save®, the Make-A-Wish® Foundation gave Zac a real big league experience over the course of a magical day in which he was able to take part in team activities alongside his favorite players.
Zac watched batting practice from the field of Busch Stadium, rubbing shoulders with Cardinals stars like Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. Afterward, in what was probably the highlight of his day, he threw out the first pitch of the Cardinals' game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
"Wishes give hope, strength and joy to children when they need it the most," said LuAnn Bott, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Missouri. "Zac's wish to throw out the first pitch at the Cardinals game is a priceless experience and one to remember for a lifetime. We're thankful for our national alliance with Kretschmar which not only makes wishes come true across the country, but especially here in the St. Louis area."
Since 2012 Kretschmar has donated $105,00 each year to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, money which has been used to grant the wishes of 3 special children batting life-threatening illnesses.
To raise even more money for Zac's wish, Kretschmar and Shop 'n Save held the "Zac's Homerun Sub" promotion from May 26–June 22. 50 cents from each sandwich and $1 from each hero/salad combo sold during the promotion were donated to Make-A-Wish Missouri.
"Everyone at Kretschmar is thrilled to help grant Zac's wish," said Mike Sargent, brand manager for Kretschmar. "We're very grateful to Shop 'n Save for partnering with us and all of the hard work they put forth to make this day possible. The local community's response to this wish has been overwhelming.”
Thanks to the support from Kretschmar, Shop 'n Save, and the Missouri community, Zac was able to ride to the game with his family in style in their own party bus complete with his own Cardinals jersey.
