- The Ingham County Child Benefit Fund brought children to a free Lugnuts game on Wednesday.
- The children are part of the Ingham County Panthers, a group of high-risk children, who got to experience a fun baseball-filled day.
- This day was made possible by the White Law Firm and the Lansing Lugnuts.
Ingham County Child Benefit Fund teamed up with the Lugnuts for a special event. I'm your neighborhood reporter Ava Zanglin at Jackson Field, where children in our neighborhoods are being treated to a special day of baseball.
The Ingham County Panthers came to Jackson Field for a free baseball game in their community.
“A lot of these youth probably wouldn't have been able to take advantage of this opportunity without the White Law Firm,” said Chris Elmore.
The Panthers are a group of 25 high-risk children who got the VIP treatment at Wednesday's game.
“Jamie reached out and said, ‘Hey, I've got a group of kids that I really want to bring out to the ballpark, show them some new experiences, get them excited about what's going on, you know, some fun things that they can do, new experiences that they've never had before.’ You know, a light bulb went off for me. I'm like, ‘Absolutely, we’re in. Let’s do it. That’s our bread and butter,’” said Zac Clark.
Jamie White, an attorney at White Law, has a close connection with these organizations.
“Well for me, it's personal, you know, I mean I was always one hair away from, you know, being one of them,” said Jamie White.
Organizers say these kids face environmental challenges that hinder their ability to experience what they say is a typical, carefree childhood.
“I think it's a responsibility for all of us to provide opportunities when we can, and if we can have some fun while doing it, it's all the better,” said White.
White recognized that a day filled with fun is exactly what these children need.
“We have a gun epidemic in this community. We have a drug epidemic in this community, and hopefully experiences like this, meeting people, like Zac, and some of my staff can give them the inspiration of maybe doing something a little different in their lives,” said White.
“We just want to make the community a stronger place, and provide a safe environment for everybody to just enjoy the weather, enjoy each other, have a good time, and hang out,” said Clark.
And acknowledged the influence sports can have on young minds.
“I've seen the impact that sports can have, not just baseball, but sports in general can have on a community. Whether it's underserved youth or whomever, we have the ability to really make an impact, and really shine some really, really, needed light on some issues in our community, and really try to help and serve,” said Clark.
The Ingham County Child Benefit Fund serves around two to three hundred kids annually, supporting Ingham County youth and their families.
In Lansing, I'm Ava Zanglin, Fox 47.
