CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two local MLB prospects are on the way to reaching their dreams, but they are already working on helping the next generation.
They held a camp on Sunday to help out children, while also making an impact on a major issue in Charlotte.
“I had this idea about two months ago. And I said, you know what, I want to use my platform to the best of my ability, and no better to start off than in the Charlotte area,” Lucas Martino said.
Martino is an Arizona Diamondbacks draft pick, and he put together the camp for children in Charlotte, with all the money going to help the homeless community.
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Martino called up another local player, Luke Little, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs last year.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to do this since I was a kid -- give back to my community,” Little said.
People may also recognize Little because he went viral for pitching 105 mph. But it’s not the fastball he wants people to remember.
“I want to be known as the kid giving back to the community,” Little said.
And that’s who he is to Jason Gillispie, who brought his 6-year-old son to the camp.
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“It’s pretty cool having some local kids coming back and doing stuff for them,” he said. “He brought a ball to get autographed.”
After a day batting with the pros, Martino hopes the younger players leave with more than just baseball lessons.
“My one goal is to hopefully instill something in these kids that, you know, if they get to the position I’m in or maybe even better in anywhere in life that they give back to where it all began,” he said.
This was all to raise money for homelessness, which has been an issue in Mecklenburg County. Officials said there are more than 3,000 people who are homeless in the county.
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