As thousands of fans cheered for Colorado Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis on Monday Night after making first start since beating testicular cancer, a small group of kids fighting cancer met their source of hope and inspiration thanks to a former teammate.
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jason Motte invited several of the kids from Colorado Children’s Hospital to see Bettis pitch on Monday at Coors Field. Bettis visited with the kids after he pitched seven innings of shut out ball.
The surprise donation was part of the reunion @JMotte30 held for attendees from 2017 Spring Training Trip with @ChildrensColo pic.twitter.com/ZuojEqNHtA
— JasonMotteFoundation (@MotteFoundation) August 15, 2017
“Just seeing him out there for some of those kids was a good message,” Motte said to MLB.com. “It showed [cancer] won’t define you and you can beat this by keeping that positive attitude and staying strong during this tough fight.”
Motte, 35, who was a teammate of Bettis with the Rockies in 2016, began the Jason Motte Foundation and the Strikeout Cancer campaign, after his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. T-shirts with a backwards K were made to help support the campaign. Bettis posted an Instagram post of himself wearing one of the shirts in the Rockies locker room back in July.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWI6Lu3BB65/
It was very emotional to see him,” Bettis said to MLB.com. “Both of us were trying very hard to hold back our tears. I saw him again today, but the first time I saw him was last night after the game. What he, himself and his wife, and his foundation did for my family and me, I’m forever grateful for what he’s done.”
To donate to the Jason Motte Foundation, visit https://www.jasonmottefoundation.org.
