The baseball used by Dr. Anthony Fauci for his ceremonial first pitch of the 2020 Major League Baseball season is now soaring to even greater heights.
The baseball is going up for auction Tuesday and the proceeds will benefit children facing life-challenging illnesses at the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health.
"We are very excited to be able to make this special part of history – and particularly Washington, D.C., history – available for the community," said Anne Mandeville, senior director for the Children’s Inn.
"It enables us to showcase sort of the magic of the Inn both through our relationship with the Nationals, which provides for many of the children who stay here a life time opportunity to attend a baseball game, and the really amazing and important work of Dr. Anthony Fauci not just this year but throughout his entire career," she said.
The Children’s Inn provides housing for seriously ill children, young adults, and their families, who are participating in pediatric research studies at the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center.
"We provide not only free lodging but recreational, therapeutic and educational opportunities for children and families while they stay with us and we do all of that completely free of charge for as long as they need to stay here," Mandeville said.
This year – as with most nonprofits – the pandemic has made providing services challenging.
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"The pandemic has brought with it the need to fundamentally change our operations to help our residents stay safe and secure," Mandeville said.
The pandemic also has had an impact on the ways in which organizations and nonprofits can fundraise – leading to creative solutions like this commemorative baseball auction.
For Mandeville, the more families they can help, the better. She hopes the auction knocks it out of the park.
Bidding for the baseball is now live — go to to place your bid.
