Colorado Rockies have personal link to Winter Meetings Charity Auction

SAN DIEGO — On Monday morning, Major League Baseball announced the beneficiaries of this year’s 2019 Winter Meetings Charity Auction. That list included a cause that is near and dear to one Colorado Rockies player.

Among the five charity and nonprofit organizations benefitting from the auction is the ALS Therapy Development Institute, honoring the fight being put up by the father (Jim) of Colorado Rockies outfielder Sam Hilliard against ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig‘s disease).

You can look at the items up for bid from all Major League teams by clicking here. Among the things up for auction include these items from the Colorado Rockies:

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• Spring Training VIP experience with Sam Hilliard — take a tour of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz., with the Rockies’ outfielder

• Lunch with Bridich and Black — eat lunch in the Coors Field home clubhouse dining room with general manager Jeff Bridich and manager Bud Black

• VIP Experience at Coors Field — take a tour of the Coors Field press box and broadcast booths, plus watch batting practice from the field

A portion of the proceeds from the auction will go toward the #TeamHilliard ALS Research Fund.

“I just got to a point where I said to myself, ‘You’re not doing anything to help if you’re not talking about it,’” Hilliard told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding for this article. “Getting the word out there, spreading the word about the foundation, and doing whatever I can to help.“They say there’s no cure, but it’s just an underfunded disease, and they’re working to find a cure.”

The auction will run through the conclusion of the Meetings on Thursday, ending at 8 a.m. (Mountain time).

In 77 September at-bats during his rookie season last year, Hilliard hit seven home runs and drove in 13. That included this dramatic ninth-inning blast against the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Be sure you’re following #TeamHilliard on Twitter for updates, etc. Also please check out the #TeamHilliard ALS Research Fund.