Hamels giving mansion to charity
Disabled children get the run of $10M mansion after gift from pitcher and his spouse
In August, Cole Hamels put a mansion he had been building in southwest Missouri on the market, at an asking price of almost $10 million (U.S.). However, the Texas Rangers pitcher recently announced that he and his wife, Heidi, gave away the property, which includes more than 40 hectares of land and 518 metres of shoreline along a lake, to a charity that helps children with special needs and chronic illnesses.
Camp Barnabas has two locations in the Missouri Ozarks, one of which is at Table Rock Lake, where Hamels’s former property is located. Now the organization, which says its goal is to “meet the needs of people with disabilities so they can have an incredible camp experience and learn more about Christ,” has much more space in which to do so.
“There are tons of amazing charities in southwest Missouri. Out of all of these, Barnabas really pulled on our heartstrings,” Hamels, who turns 34 later this month, said in a statement. “Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve; there is truly nothing like it. Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way.”
A Camp Barnabas official said: “This is so much more than a beautiful property. This incredible gift allows us to further our ministry and truly change thousands of lives for years to come.”
The 32,000-square foot home includes 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, six half-baths, a second kitchen, exercise room, wine cellar, elevator and three-car garage. Its interior was reportedly not completely finished, with Hamels having begun construction in 2012, before moving to Texas full-time after being traded from Philadelphia to the Rangers in 2015.
Hamels’s donation came just after a gift to Camp Barnabas from golfer Jordan Spieth, which was described as allowing 100 children to spend a week at the camp. A Barnabas official said Spieth’s donation was “lifechanging,” adding that it would also help “the parents who champion for their kids tirelessly throughout the year, but for one single week they get a chance to just breathe.”
In 12 MLB seasons, Hamels has a 3.37 earned-run average and 2,227 strikeouts to 645 walks.