By Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek pitcher Kade Luker has received plenty of recognition for his accomplishments on the baseball diamond.
But this past Saturday, the reigning Louisiana Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year used one of those honors to give something back to a group of individuals who share a common love for the game.
Luker presented a $1,000 check to Buddy Ball of Ruston, a local organization that provides children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy playing baseball in a supportive environment.
The donation was made possible through Gatorade, which awarded Luker a $1,000 grant to direct to a charitable organization of his choice after he earned the state’s prestigious honor last spring.
Luker said his choice of organization wasn’t a difficult one.
“At Cedar Creek, we’re so involved with Buddy Ball and Night to Shine,” said Luker. “I chose Buddy Ball. After talking to Mr. (Mike) Kane, he said they rely on donations to operate. It’s all free to the players. It was kind of a no-brainer to donate to Buddy Ball. That was one of the first things that came to my mind.”
Kane said the donation was meaningful and praised Luker for his act of kindness.
“We’re appreciative that he wanted to do that for us because we’re a league that charges our kids nothing to play,” said Kane. “We’re absolutely self-funded, and everything we have, we have to go out and raise. The way we look at it is it’s not helping us. It’s helping our kids.”
The check presentation was part of a larger day of service by Cedar Creek student-athletes, who spent Saturday morning volunteering with the Buddy Ball program.
Cedar Creek head baseball coach Chad Yates said approximately 40 students representing the Cougars’ baseball and softball programs, Diamond Dolls and cheerleaders participated in the event.
Following the check presentation, the Cedar Creek students then assisted with games involving younger participants at 10 a.m. and older participants at 11 a.m.
“We just got in touch with those guys, set us up a weekend, and Kade presented a check to them through Gatorade,” said Yates. “We had our baseball program, and then our softball program joined in. We had some of our Diamond Dolls and cheerleaders. We were just out there serving and had a good time with it.”
Luker, who has spent countless hours developing into one of Louisiana’s premier high school baseball players, volunteering with Buddy Ball provides a different perspective on the sport.
“You can look at it from a different perspective,” said Luker. “They can’t really do the same things as you, but going out there and seeing them have fun doing pretty much the same sport as you, it’s pretty cool to see it from a different side of it.”
Kane said the Cedar Creek students made an impression that extended well beyond the check presentation.
“Those kids are some of the most well-mannered, nicest kids,” said Kane. “That’s the best group of young kids I’ve ever been around.”
Kane believes Saturday offered a glimpse of something even more important than Luker’s ability to pitch.
“Everybody knows about his accolades in baseball and how good a baseball player he is, but they don’t realize that he’s just as good a young man as he is a baseball player,” said Kane. “Things like this show that.”
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About Buddy Ball: Buddy Ball of Ruston conducts four weekends of games each fall and spring, with trophies and medals presented to participants at the conclusion of each season. Participation is free. Anyone interested in supporting the nonprofit organization can visit the Buddy Ball of Ruston Facebook page for information about making a donation. Kane said donations are tax-deductible.
