The Pujols Family Foundation (PFF) is pleased to announce its launch as a National organization. The PFF is expanding its mission to include St. Louis, Southern California, Kansas City, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee by the end of 2012. The national effort is an extraordinary opportunity to positively impact the lives of thousands of children and adults living with Down syndrome.

PFF team members are collaborating with Down syndrome organizations throughout the U.S. to assess the unique needs of each community. Amy Allison, Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City, shared, “The Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City is pleased that the Pujols Family Foundation is expanding their reach. We applaud the Foundation’s goal of reaching out to new markets and know that our partnership will allow DSG to enhance our programs and services.”

The national expansion has been a vision of the PFF since its inception seven years ago when Albert and Deidre Pujols made a commitment to serve families living with Down syndrome in honor of their daughter Bella. “God has blessed me with an amazing gift, my daughter Bella. It is this gift that moved our family begin the Pujols Family Foundation and, it is the Lord who is helping me do his work,” said Albert Pujols.

The Foundation headquarters will remain in St. Louis so program development and community service will continue to thrive. The goal is to raise awareness, provide hope, as well as create supportive, memorable experiences for individuals and families living with Down syndrome. The PFF looks forward to partnering with other Down syndrome organizations that provide comprehensive resources.

“The Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis looks forward to continued collaborations in providing services and ensuring that the individuals that mean so much to both of our organizations will know we work together to make a difference in the quality of their lives,” expressed Dianne Schuch, Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis.

Over the years, many sports and entertainment greats have attended PFF events in support of the foundation to further the success of its vision by contributing their time and resources. Celebrities who have attended past events in support of the PFF include legends such as Stan Musial, Chuck Berry, Bo Jackson, Lou Brock, Shaquille O’Neal, Daryl Strawberry, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Meadowlark Lemon, Tony LaRussa, Don Mattingly and many more.

The PFF is honored to announce Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals Left Fielder and World Series Champion, as this year’s host of the Celebrity Golf Classic in St. Louis, Missouri; a much anticipated annual fundraising event to support the PFF. Matt and his family were moved to support the Foundation after participating in Albert’s AllStar game last October.

“We’re deeply humbled that Matt and Leslee Holliday have selected our Foundation as one of the hand-full of charitable organizations that they support,” exclaimed Todd Perry, PFF Executive Director since 2005. “We are blessed that so many St. Louis based companies and individuals continue to offer their support as we honor our commitment to serve families in the greater St. Louis area. We are also encouraged by the positive response to our National launch across the country, where we plan to build new programs and events.”

The amazing, unconditional support from the new communities where we are establishing ourselves has been overwhelming. “The Down Syndrome Association of Orange County is thrilled to welcome The Pujols Family Foundation to Southern California. We look forward to partnering in our mission as we continue to provide the means necessary to empower individuals with Down syndrome to reach their full potential,” said Kellie Perez, Senior Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County.

The Pujols Family Foundation is also committed to helping and improving the lives families living in poverty in Albert’s native country, The Dominican Republic. Ongoing programs have been developed since 2006 such as:

•    Batey Baseball (A mentorship program, teaching boys character and responsibility through the sport of baseball)
•    NEST (A program teaching women vocations like sewing and jewelry making)
•    Project Sound Asleep (A program that brings beds to people who have no place to sleep)

In addition to the aforementioned programs, the PFF Team and an elite group of medical professionals (i.e. physicians, oral surgeons, pediatricians, dentists and optometrists) bring medical relief to hundreds of impoverished people living the Dominican Republic every year.

The Foundation looks forward to the future success of new programs in St. Louis, The Dominican Republic and around the country.