MIDTOWN ST. LOUIS, MO. (KPLR) – The umpires working tonight`s Cardinals-Dodgers game at Busch hit a home run earlier today with some kids fighting serious illnesses.  The umps along with Fredbird visited kids at Children`s Hospital as part of Umps Care Charities.

The umpires gave the kids stuffed animals and just spent some time with them.

Among the patients they visited, 16 year old Michael Wefelmeyer.  Michael attends Lafayette High School and plays baseball.  He loved the visit.

‘It definitely gets you moving, gets you out of bed. It`s always nice to talk to people and try and keep a sense of normal you know,’ said Wefelmeyer.

‘Our main goal and main objective is just to hopefully bring a smile to their face and brighten their day- even if it`s a couple of minutes that they allow us to come into their rooms,’ added Major League Baseball umpire Eric Cooper.

Most of the kids the umpires visited are cancer patients.

The umps visit 12 hospitals a year as part of the program.