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Moyer's Biggest Pitch Not On Mound

The Associated Press

Jamie Moyer and his wife have set up a nationwide network of camps to help children deal with losing a parent.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

Published: March 6, 2009

CLEARWATER - Entering his 23rd major-league season, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer has 246 career victories. And now he's a World Series champion, the author of last season's momentum-turning Game 3 win against the Rays.

But decades from now, Moyer's baseball accomplishments won't tell the story of his life.

He'll be remembered for Camp Erin.

"When you're an athlete, it's almost like you're taking and taking all the time, you're in and out of a community," Moyer said. "This is something to leave behind, something that means a whole lot more."

Camp Erin - with 28 camps in 18 states, including one in Tampa - is the nation's largest network of bereavement camps. It helps children who have lost a parent or loved one - the U.S. Census estimates that one in 20 children, before their high-school graduation, has a parent die - through grief education and emotional support.

Moyer and his wife, Karen, founded Camp Erin in 2002, naming the concept for Erin Metcalf of Woodinville, Wash., who died of liver cancer at age 17. The Moyers, who have seven children, experienced a bereavement camp in Indiana, then saw a need for expanding that effort.

Their goal is establishing a Camp Erin event in every major-league city.

"One thing we're trying to do in raising our children is showing them you have a social responsibility to be a good human being," Karen Moyer said. "There are plenty of great causes out there. But this one has hit home for us. There are so many children who grieve the loss of a loved one. We don't want them to fall through the cracks. We want them to know it's OK to grieve and there are other children going through the same thing."

Camp Erin Tampa is scheduled for April 24-26, but the Moyer Foundation will hold a local fundraiser ("One Lucky Night") on March 17 at Bright House Field.

There, Moyer will explain the camp's concept. And he'll undoubtedly tell the story of an early camper.

Each camper brings a photo of their deceased loved one to display on a memory board.

"The kids at the camp do have some fun, they act things out, they see what they have in common with the other kids," Moyer said. "But at the heart of it is something I remember from one little boy.

"He grabs me by the hand and takes me to a picture of his uncle. And he tells me, 'He took me to my first baseball game.' Even in that unfortunate circumstance, he had a positive memory. And that's part of it, learning that a part of life is learning to deal with death, learning to grieve and getting through it."

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

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