About 150 kids and families in the foster care system got a break from their day-to-day challenges this week during an afternoon of making Major League memories.
HOUSTON — An 11-year-old Corpus Christi boy with a huge heart gave dozens of foster kids a magical afternoon at Daikan Park on Thursday.
Nate Gonzalez isn’t your average kid. He’s the founder of Nate’s Next Kid Up, a nonprofit on a mission to uplift children in the foster care system.
Nate’s organization brought 150 foster children and their families on a road trip to Houston for the Astros game against the Phillies. Their afternoon was filled with Major League memories watching the ‘Stros get a big win.
“I really know that everyone wants to be happy, wants to be loved and cared about,” Nate told KHOU 11.
Foster mom Paige Burton-Jones enjoyed the experience with her children. Burton is raising three biological children and fostering four others, all under the age of 15.
“My kids would never get to experience this,” Burton-Jones said. “Taking seven kids to a baseball game is not really in the budget.”
She says events like these create memories to last a lifetime.
“It makes such a huge impact for us, for the children and it’s family bonding,” Burton-Jones said.
As for Nate, seeing kids smiling in the stands was the biggest reward.
“When I go somewhere and just forget about things, it makes me feel good. I have no worries in my life whatsoever,” Nate said.
He started Nate’s Next Kid Up at the age of 6 when he donated his Christmas toys to foster kids. It’s grown by leaps and bounds ever since.
The non-profit hosts an annual holiday toy drive and a school supply drive with the Corpus Christi Hooks. Their Dream Big scholarships help families cover registration fees for children in grades K-12 who are involved in sports and other activities.
If you’d like to help Nate’s Next Kid Up spread joy to foster families across Texas, you can donate here.