31 October 2023
MANHATTAN (KSNT) – There were no tricks, only treats at while the Kansas State University baseball team showed off their skills and some unique costumes to help raise money for a good cause.
Some of the K-State baseball team came out swinging at Monday’s Halloween game, while others had a hard time swinging in their costumes. This was all to raise money to help in the fight for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or better known as ALS.
“We began the ALS Halloween game to create awareness and raise funds for a disease that’s really, needs some backing,” K-State’s head baseball coach Pete Hughes said.
Hughes got inspired to host these fundraising games as a way to honor his former player, Pete Frates who died from ALS.
Hughes said there’s no better town that can rally to support a good cause like ALS.
“There’s no better community than Manhattan, Kansas to bring important causes where people rally around,” Hughes said. “Like, no one rallies like our Manhattan community.”
The players and fans came out for the fun of dressing up and trick-or-treating, but they were also here to support the cause that comes with the game.
“Being able to come and support the ALS, it’s great,” Chapman resident Ashley Vahsholtz said. “I think this is a great thing for the community to do and be able to help with the charity for it and be able to give money to go back to a good cause.”
“Any little thing that we can do to help,” K-State pitcher Owen Boerema said. “I mean, we’re just playing college baseball, but in the grand scheme of things if we can help kind of combat a problem like ALS, it means so much more.”
Hughes said he wants the fans to see his team having fun-like he sees every day, but also to join the team to help the ALS cause. This game is just one of the many ways Hughes and his team give back to local and national organizations. It’s part of the team’s “19 Ways” initiative.