Paso Robles teen forms Pitch-in 4 the Dominican charity
Combining his love for baseball and helping others, Paso Robles teen Cole Schoenthal created his very own charity, Pitch-in 4 the Dominican, to collect baseball gear for children in the Dominican Republic.
Cole Schoenthal combines his love of baseball and helping others
When Cole Schoenthal considered ideas for his 8th grade school project at Old Mission School, it didn’t take long for the 13-year-old Paso Robles resident to come up with a plan that would integrate two of the things he loves most – baseball and helping others. Combining these two passions, he created his very own charity, Pitch-in 4 the Dominican, to collect baseball gear for children in the Dominican Republic.
“Baseball is very important in the Dominican Republic and many of the Dominican boys believe that baseball is their only opportunity to escape a life of poverty,” Schoenthal said. “Sadly, they often do not have the equipment to play safely or effectively; they end up playing with sticks and rocks instead of bats and balls.”
Despite playing baseball in these conditions, Schoenthal said that the Dominican Republic produces 13 percent of all major league baseball players.
Chad Schoenthal, a Paso Robles resident and student at Old Mission School in San Luis Obispo, has gathered a garage full of baseball equipment – new and used for his charity.
With his charity, he was able to fulfill his OMS service project, a yearly assignment given to each student that requires an investment of at least 20 hours of volunteer time towards something positive and beneficial to mankind. Since forming Pitch-in 4 the Dominican, Schoenthal has gathered a garage full of bats, cleats, gloves, baseball bags, pants, jerseys, helmets, balls and various other baseball equipment – new and used – that he plans to ship over to the Dominican Republic this fall.
Nearly all of the items were collected at baseball games and other sporting events throughout San Luis Obispo County. Schoenthal, who attended Georgia Brown Elementary before transferring to OMS during middle school, said he set up a table, put out a sign, starting talking to people and, before he knew it, the equipment donations started pouring in. News of his efforts began spreading by word of mouth and, before long, the community helped to make Pitch-in 4 the Dominican a roaring success.
“We really weren’t prepared for the large outpouring of support,” said Chad Schoenthal, Cole’s dad. “The community has been extremely generous. Cole has gathered so many items – it really is quite amazing – and now we could use some help with the shipping costs involved with getting the equipment over to the Dominican Republic.”
And that’s where the community can help once again. Local businesses and individuals are encouraged to contact Chad at (805) 704-6024 or (805) 975-5877 to learn more about making a financial contribution to assist with shipping costs.
Although his school assignment was a one-time project, Schoenthal said he plans to continue his efforts for years to come.
“I want the children in the Dominican Republic to experience the same positive rewards that baseball has given me,” he said. “I’ve played baseball all my life and I feel like the sport has helped me to become a better person in several ways – it’s made me accountable to a team; it helped me focus on my education, and made me a better athlete in other sports.”
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