Kickball for a Cause is a favorite signature event for PUMP. It takes place on the second Saturday of every August and features a competitive kickball tournament, music, food, raffles, and lots of fun in community. Each year, the community votes on the who will receive the proceeds of the tournament and we highlight and celebrate them. This year, we have two incredible organizations as beneficiaries: Pittsburgh Hardball Academy and Evolve Coaching.

We will share more about them in the coming days and after the tournament in some new and engaging ways, but wanted to share a little about them here and share a greeting video that each recorded in advance of the big day.

Founded in 2020, Pittsburgh Hardball Academy works to remove barriers to entry and increase diversity & inclusion in the games of baseball and softball for youth in the Greater Pittsburgh area with an intent focus on accessibility and delivery for underrepresented youth. They work with young people on learning the game of baseball and softball, but also academic preparedness, life skills, personal branding, and post-secondary achievement. Since 2020, over 30 of their graduating seniors have accepted scholarships to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. In addition, several graduates have completed college and continued their professional careers, on and off the field. 

We asked them to share a video with our community and from a recent tournament in the Boston area, they sent us this message:
We appreciate their work and wish them continued success. Please connect with them online to learn more and follow their progress.

Evolve Coaching works with Autistic and other neurodiverse adults to show the world what they have to offer. They offer individual and group coaching services that encourage their clients to advocate for themselves, manage their workloads, lead more independent lives, and achieve self-defined success. They work one-on-one with neurodiverse individuals, in person or online, to help them meet their personal and professional goals in college, the workplace, and daily life. They also provide services to local businesses and organizations to help them promote inclusion in the workplace and community. They have a number of offerings including college coaching, employment coaching, arts programming, and inclusion trainings & workshops.

We asked them to share a video with our community and from their space in Lawrenceville, they sent us this message:
We are grateful for their work and also wish them continued success. Please connect with them online to learn more and find out how you can get involved.