Chicago White Sox Jim Thome and Paul Konerko Team with Children's Home + Aid to Help Foster Children and Families

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CHICAGO 04/26/2007 1:00 PM ET -- Chicago White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome and first baseman Paul Konerko, along with their wives Andrea Thome and Jennifer Konerko, are teaming up to raise awareness and support for the needs of foster children and families in Illinois. "Family Champions for Family Champions," their new partnership with Children's Home + Aid, a private child welfare agency, will focus on promoting a positive perception of foster care and raising awareness about the need for foster families.

The Thome and Konerko families, along with the Chicago White Sox, will work closely with Children's Home + Aid to produce public service announcements on foster care, invite foster families to U.S. Cellular Field for ballpark and field visits, hold Foster Family Night at the Park on May 12 and stage a "grand slam party" for foster families in the offseason.

"This is a 'family effort' from the Konerkos and the Thomes," said Jim Thome. "Together, with Paul, Jennifer, Andrea and myself, we will work whole-heartedly to give children hope and help Children's Home + Aid to build a better life for families."

Together, the Thomes and Konerkos have made a commitment to help attract and recruit supporters, advocates and foster parents who are dedicated to serving the needs of foster children. Jim and Paul, together with the White Sox, selected Children's Home + Aid as a partner because of its leadership as a child welfare agency in Illinois, with a proven record of providing services that meet the needs of children and families in crisis.

"As members of the White Sox family, we realize the importance and value of being a part of a greater community," said Paul Konerko. "Children's Home + Aid provides a tremendous opportunity to contribute."

"Children's Home + Aid is honored to join in partnership with Jim and Andrea Thome and Paul and Jennifer Konerko to help raise awareness and support for foster children and families throughout Illinois," said Nancy Ronquillo, Children's Home + Aid president and CEO. "The 'Family Champions for Family Champions' partnership will directly benefit the foster children and families we serve."

About Children's Home + Aid
Children's Home + Aid saves children's lives, moves families forward and goes where the need is greatest. Founded in 1883, Children's Home + Aid continues its mission of giving help, hope and opportunity to children with a variety of emotional, physical and behavioral needs. Each year Children's Home + Aid helps nearly 40,000 children and families in Illinois through a wide range of services like adoption, foster care, education, counseling and child abuse prevention programs.

Each year Children's Home + Aid provides foster care services to more than 1,000 children who need to be placed in safe, secure and loving foster homes because their biological families are in crisis and unable to provide for them. Foster children remain in foster care until they can safely return to their families or until they are adopted.

Source: MLB