Wilson Gets His Game On for a Great Cause
By JANE GEELAN-SAYRES
Updated 12:23 PM CDT, Mon, May 18, 2009
You could say Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson's first love as a kid was race-car driving.
"My dad really started me off when I was a kid with the car thing," said Wilson. "I think I was probably 2-years-old, and I was flipping through an automobile magazine like ... 'Car and Driver.'"
That was before he was bitten by the baseball bug at just 9-years-old.
Wilson was drafted by the Rangers in 2001 and made his major league debut in June 2005.
"My first call-up was against the Marlins in 2005, and they called my name in the bullpen to start warming up," said Wilson. "And I was like, 'Wilson, Wilson, Wilson, Wilson -- ahh, that's me! Here we go.'"
His life was not only forever changed with that first pitch, but again about a year and a half later when he and the team made a Christmas visit to the hematology and oncology wards at Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth.
"The one thing you can't say ... 'So what's wrong with with you?'" said Wilson. "You can't say something like that. You've just got say, 'How's it going? Are you having fun?'"
That's where he met Micah Champagne, who was born with hemophilia.
"I saw Micah, who is Robert's son. He just looked stoked, he looked stoked to see me," said Wilson. "I went to talk to him and he was really engaging. He was like a cute little kid, and I didn't know what else to do, so I just gave him a hug."
Wilson didn't realize Micah's father Robert was watching everything and that simple hug was just the start of an amazing journey for him and the Champagne family.
A simple letter from a thankful family to a major league baseball pitcher eventually lead to the creation of C.J. Wilson's Children's Charity.
Wilson and Champagne are co-founders.
"It's a video game charity for kids -- bringing video games to kids," said Wilson.
The foundation collects most of its donations by holding video game tournaments around North Texas.
"I'd rather have people show up in straight up, whatever they've got -- 20 bucks, that's cool," said Wilson. "And we will make that work. With our charity, we've been raising money for children's causes and for children's hospitals, and that money goes a really long way."
The money is used to set up video-game rooms in children's hospitals, including a room at Cook Children's.
"$10,000 to a children's hospital, in terms of building a video game room ... You buy two TVs, that's two grand, so you have $8,000 for the video games, cash, X-Box games and Playstation stuff and DVDs," said Wilson.
C.J. Wilson's Children's Charities is holding a Guitar Hero Metallica Madness competition and fundraiser in Fort Worth on Thursday, May 28, at 8.0 Restaurant and Bar in Sundance Square. Doors open at 5 p.m., and it only takes a $10 donation to get in.
Wilson will also DJ a special "Backstage Bash" after 10 p.m. for people older than 21.
For more on James Chippendale, the host of "Last Call," click here.
First Published: May 17, 2009 5:34 PM CDT
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