When Baker is not on the field he can be found in his community, making an impact wherever he can. When considering his options for this year’s holiday charitable giveback event, the current wide receiver decided he wanted to spend an afternoon bringing smiles to families who have been going through difficult times.
“There are families out here that are going through things that many of us could only begin to fathom,'' stated Baker. “I wanted to provide an opportunity for families to forget their worries for at least a couple hours and spend time making memories.”
Baker partnered with The Rainbow Connection, a local charity that makes wishes come true for children in Michigan with life-threatening medical conditions. The organization also provides support services to eligible families in need.
A spokesperson for Rainbow Connection had this to say about Baker’s involvement with their organization, “Partnering with Robert Baker Jr. is an incredible opportunity not only for The Rainbow Connection as an organization, but for the Wish Children that will be participating in his bowling event. Being able to partner with compassionate and generous people within the community, like Robert, allows The Rainbow Connection to support the Wish Children and their families. This afternoon of bowling not only gives the Wish Children and their families something to look forward to, it also gives them the chance to make some great memories together!”
This kind of event couldn’t happen without the support of the great partners and people coming together in the community. Huge thanks are extended to Shelby Lanes, who donated the venue, bowling lanes, and shoes for the participating children. Shelby Lanes is a family-owned, 24 lane bowling center located in Shelby Township, MI. Pat and Heather Kline have been proprietors of the center since 2008. Since then, they have built their business by providing great service to the community. The center has roughly 20 employees that are ALL considered family to the Kline's. The business focuses on youth bowling, primarily by signing up 3,500+ kids each summer in their Kids Bowl Free program. They also host many leagues each day along with open bowling, parties, fundraisers and corporate events. The venue is turning their focus to participating with Baker to bring some holiday cheer to some families who need it most.
“Shelby Lanes is honored to partner with Mr. Baker to host such a wonderful event for these families, “ said Pat & Heather Kline. “We hope to make this an annual event and are wishing everyone a Happy Holidays from all of us here.” Special thanks is also extended to Sorrento’s Pizza for donating pizza and drinks for the families to enjoy while they bowl.
Robert Baker Jr. would like to thank the great companies who partnered up with him to provide gifts for the children’s gift bags that were provided for his event. Those companies include: Xpand, Inc, who provided each of the children with their own no-tie shoelaces, Wonder’s Journey, who provided unique quality crafted wooden ball and cup toys, Lazy Turtle, who provided their soft and fashionable t-shirts for each of the children, and Curlie Girlie, LLC for providing copies of their Curlie Girlie’s Got Talent books for each of the children.