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Ryan Braun knows baseball is a great classroom for kids and that why he supports the Little Brewers Baseball Club, in partnership with U.S. Cellular and Brewers Charities. Together, they give more 2,000 youngsters from Boy & Girls Clubs throughout Wisconsin - boys and girls ages 6-9 - an opportunity to play baseball. The Little Brewers cap their season with a trip to Miller Park, a tailgate party with a visit from Ryan, and a ballgame. In addition to his support for the youth baseball, Ryan also donates thousands of dollars of Nike merchandise to disadvantaged kids in the Milwaukee area. And, after he was named NL Rookie of the Year in 2007, Ryan received a check for that honor which he in turn donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Dave Bush wants to strike out hunger in Milwaukee through the K's for a Cause program. Dave is donating $25 for every strike out by a Brewers pitcher at Miller Park this season. Proceeds will go to the Hunger Task Force, which provides food to pantries throughout the Milwaukee area. Dave has a great partner in the K's effort with the law office of Foley & Lardner, which is also donating for every strike out by a Brewers pitcher in 2009. Together, Dave Bush and Foley & Lardner are working to fill food pantries and support families throughout our community.

As a veteran player, Mike Cameron places a high value on teamwork and his emphasis on team over individual goals is also reflected in his community service. Mike has a soft spot for kids, particularly kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. Mike is the honorary chairman of the "YMCA Day at Miller Park" where 1,800 children from YMCA Day Camps visit Miller Park as his guests. He picks up the tab for their buses, their game tickets and he purchases a special souvenir for each day camper. Additionally, Mike will be the sponsor for a new program in 2009 called TeamSmile, in partnership with Willie Wilson Baseball. Mike is providing the funding for a free dental health, education, screening and treatment clinic that will actually be held in Miller Park for 200 children whose families cannot afford dental care. And, in a continuation of his focus on helping young people, this year, Mike is also providing resources to create the Mike Cameron Scholarship Fund, which is giving a Milwaukee-area student an opportunity to a realize a dream of attending college.

Craig Counsell truly is a home-grown talent. He grew up in the Milwaukee area and attended Brewers' games with his father, John Counsell, who worked in the Community Relations Department for the Milwaukee Brewers. As a young boy, he watched and learned how Major League Baseball players can make a difference in their communities. Craig and his wife Michelle have assisted in delivering Thanksgiving baskets to needy families in Milwaukee's central city. Craig has also provided funding to support the Girls of Summer Softball League, a program aimed at central city teenage girls. This year, the Notre Dame accounting graduation is getting behind a program to help kids be smart about their money. Craig is partnering with National City/part of PNC Services Group to put dollars behind the Money Savvy Generation program which trains area teachers to bring money basics into the classroom and helps students learn about saving, spending, investing and donating.

He's only 23 years old but starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo possesses a level of maturity both on and off the field. As a young father, he is keenly aware that kids covet role models and, as a Major League Baseball player, he has an opportunity to be one. Yovani is donating a block of tickets throughout the season to youth groups, with a focus on the growing Latino youth market. He also volunteers his time for a clinic for the Felix Mantilla Little League, a predominantly Latino baseball league named after Milwaukee Braves great Felix Mantilla who still makes his home in the Milwaukee area.

Bill Hall has been incredibly generous with his time and his money. He joined teammate Rickie Weeks in escorting central city children on a trip to Kansas City so they could learn and appreciate the history of the Negro Leagues at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. For the past three years, Bill has been making a personal commitment of funds to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Milwaukee. This year, Bill and his mother Vergie purchased all of the game tickets in the Air Tran Landing Zone at Miller Park so breast cancer survivors and their families could enjoy a special area of the ballpark on Mother's Day. Each Mother's Day, he uses a pink bat to raise awareness about breast cancer. He has also donated autographed merchandise to help raise additional funds for Komen. Bill also donates his time and his money to support the RBI League in Milwaukee, the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, which is designed to reintroduce baseball to young men in our central cities. Thanks to Bill's support, the RBI League in Milwaukee now has over 300 active participants and is administered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, with additional support from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund.

.J. Hardy was an outstanding baseball player before he made his way into the majors, where he was an All-American selection. For a second year, J.J. is lending a hand to young men who are excelling in academics and athletics by supporting Wisconsin American Legion Baseball where he is contributing to a scholarship fund for a promising young baseball player and donating autographed items so the organization can raise additional dollars through its own events. The goal of the program is to build player strength, coordination and over-all physical fitness, as well as to aid in the development of good sportsmanship and citizenship. Since 1926, American Legion Baseball has been making a difference in the lives of young men across Wisconsin. J.J. will again be the Honorary Chairman for the Wisconsin American Legion All-Star Game at Miller Park this summer where he will take photos with members of each team. Thanks to supportive players like J.J. Hardy, Wisconsin is the only state where Legion All-Stars have an opportunity to play on a Major League Baseball field.

With three young children of his won, Corey knows that families are the foundation in the lives of kids and he wants families to be able to make healthy choices. That's why Corey has been a spokesperson for the Stomp Out Spit Tobacco campaign with the Wisconsin Dental Association. This year, he agreed to be the Honorary Chairperson for the 25th Birthday Party for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Since 1984, more than 3,500 wishes have been granted to children throughout Wisconsin. Corey is making a personal donation to Make-A-Wish Wisconsin to allow the organization to continue to bring hope, strength and joy to kids throughout the state. And, he is hosting a six-year-old Wish Kid, Sam from Saukville, Wisconsin, on a personal tour of the Home Clubhouse at Miller Park. Sam will meet Corey's teammates and the two of them will then be on the field where Sam will fulfill his wish to sing the National Anthem at Miller Park.

Pitcher Trevor Hoffman is a six-time All-Star, recording at least 30 saves in each of his last, 13 full seasons, demonstrating a work ethic that has made him one of the best closers in the game. Trevor also cares deeply about fans in the community where he plays baseball, particularly young fans. Before he even reported to Brewers Spring Training, Trevor contacted the front office to set the wheels in motion for some type of charitable program in Milwaukee. Because he sees education as one of the best paths to success, he created the Trevor Hoffman Scholarship Fund within Brewers Charities to help students who lack financial resources achieve their dream of attending college. Two Wisconsin high school graduates are now achieving their dream of attending college thanks to the Hoffman Scholarship Fund.

Catcher Jason Kendall was destined to be behind the plate where he has become one of the most durable catchers in the game. His father Fred was a Major League catcher with San Diego, Cleveland and Boston. In 2008, Jason made 149 starts behind the plate, which led the Majors and set a new Milwaukee Brewers franchise record. The 13-year veteran and three-time All-Star has an exemplary work ethic, brings a hard-nosed attitude to the game but also has a soft spot for kids in our community. Over his career, Jason has donated to many children's causes - Kendall's Kids, as they have come to be known - and he is doing so again in Milwaukee by supporting the MACC Fund, Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer. The MACC Fund has been a leading force in the fight to end childhood cancer, a disease that has touched so many families. Due to the support of our community, through donors like Jason Kendall, the MACC Fund has contributed $33 million to support pediatric cancer and blood disorder research and in three decades of service, has helped move the overall cure rate for childhood cancer from 20% to 80%.

Mike Rivera wants kids to realize their dream of attending a Major League Baseball game. And, he knows that the game of baseball has a huge following in Milwaukee's fast-growing Latino community. So he donating a block of game tickets this season, with a focus on Latino youth and their families. Mike has also been a great ambassador for the team with Latino youth, encouraging his teammates to join him in holding a mini-clinic and autograph session for the kids in the Felix Mantilla Little League each season.

Jeff Suppan is the consummate professional both on and off the field. Jeff and his wife Dana host an annual holiday party for area children, providing them with holiday treats, gifts, gift cards and a specially made backpack for each child with Jeff's autograph on it. They travel from their home in California to Wisconsin to be with the children at the parties and deliver a special message about the importance of school and families. Thanks to Jeff, funds were directed to the Milwaukee County Parks Department to fix several area ball fields, damaged by flooding in the summer of 2008. He also provides financial assistance to two Milwaukee-area youth baseball groups which serve children from disadvantaged backgrounds: Beckum-Stapleton Little League which primarily serves African-American youths and the Felix Mantilla Little League which serves Latino youths. These funds provide uniforms for the teams. This season, Jeff has added a new youth initiative, donating two scholarships for Milwaukee area children whose families face financial barriers to attending Catholic schools or colleges. He has a history of supporting active members of the military and their families through the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a New York-based foundation which provides assistance to children and families of U.S. soldiers killed in the line of duty. He donates $100 for each strikeout he records and Brewers Charities matches his gift. Jeff has also teamed up with the USO of Wisconsin to fund a program designed to honor active military personnel and their families at Miller Park. The program, which began in 2008, is fondly referred to as "Soup's Troops." Jeff and his wife Dana donate four premiere seats behind home plate for each home game at Miller Park for use by active military members and their families, Jeff and Dana had the seats specially outfitted with camouflage colors as a tribute to our servicemen and women and they also donate Miller Park certificates to these guests at each game so can enjoy food and beverages or purchase a special souvenir while they are at the ballpark. These seats are affectionately called "Soup's Troops" seats, thanks to the Suppans and their generosity. When Jeff learned that it would cost more than $3,000 for Milwaukee area families to ship holiday gifts to their family members who were serving in Afghanistan during the 2008 Christmas holidays, he picked up the tab for the shipping expenses. Another way that Jeff will be paying homage to our military is through the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight program, where he has agreed to make a donation to allow veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to visit their respective memorials in Washington. A special emphasis is being placed on aging WWII vets so they can see their memorial during their lifetime.

Rickie Weeks was a two-time All-American selection when he attended Southern University and received many honors for his outstanding baseball skills. He is also demonstrating his commitment off-the-field through several charitable programs. He joined teammate Bill Hall in escorting central city children on a trip to Kansas City so they could learn and appreciate the history of the Negro Leagues at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Rickie also hosted a charity dinner to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and encouraged his teammates to take part. Through his Rickie's Rookies program, in partnership with George Webb Restaurants, Rickie is donating blocks of game tickets and T-shirts to youth groups throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin. And this season, he created the Rickie Weeks Scholarship Fund so a Wisconsin high school graduate who faces financial challenges, will realize the dream of attending college.