A young baseball enthusiast is living out his dream this summer. He’s also showing everyone how watching Major League Baseball can also serve as an act of charity.
Adam Koss isn’t your average baseball fan. Leaving his hometown of Syracuse, New York, he ventured out on a 2-month road trip.
"This summer, I'm actually going to all 30 MLB stadiums and seeing a game at each, and I'm raising money for charity along the way," said Adam.
An idea that first shocked his parents.
"My thoughts were, 'You're kidding right, it's a joke,'" said Lawrence Koss, Adam's dad.
Adam's Bar Mitzvah is coming up this winter, and he said part of that tradition is to give back to the community.
"Something I really like is to watch baseball, and it was a great way to combine giving back to the community and watching baseball," said Adam.
Adam’s asking for people to donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, St. Baldrick'sand the Make-A-Wish Foundation. You can also join Adam’s Home Run Club.
"You pledge a certain amount of money for every home run that we see, and then at the end of the trip, if we see like 70 home runs and you pledged $1, it would be $70 that you could donate to whatever charity," said Adam.
On Friday night, Adam will be at Kauffman Stadium watching the Kansas City Royals take on the Texas Rangers. This will mark Adam's 17th game.
He’s hoping that the boys in blue can hit a few out of the ballpark.
"KC hits a lot of home runs, so I'm excited to see like 3-4 home runs," said Adam.
On June 22, Adam set out on his cross country trip with a goal in mind.
"At the beginning of the trip it was at like $2,000, and we're up to over $15,000 right now," said Adam.
"People who you've never met before, reaching out, it's incredible," said Lawrence Koss.
Adam’s parents said he’s having a ball. Once it’s game over, they hope one thing sticks with him.
"How eager people are to help and to give back and I hope that's a lesson that he takes with him long after this trip,"said Andrea Koss, Adam's mom.
Adam said 100 percent of proceeds donated will go right to charity.
