Rangers' Hamels, wife donate $9.75M mansion to charity
Cole Hamels is spreading some early holiday cheer.
The Rangers pitcher and his wife, Heidi, on Monday announced they will donate their $9.75 million mansion in Branson, Mo., to charity.
The house will be given to Camp Barnabas, a group that "helps individuals with special needs and chronic illnesses," in the largest donation in the history of the organization.
"Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve; there is truly nothing like it," Cole said in a release, via The Hamels Foundation website. "Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way."
The couple began building the house in 2012 and put it on the market in August before deciding to donate it. It sits on 104.7 acres and offers views of Table Rock Lake in Southwest Missouri.
"Our mission is to change lives through disability ministry, and we’ve been strategically looking for ways to expand our ministry outside of a summer camp," Barnabas CEO Jason Brawner said. "We have no doubt that this gift will allow us to do just that."
Hamels, 33, has one year remaining on his six-year deal worth $144 million signed with the Rangers after his trade from the Phillies. The four-time All-Star went 11-6 with a 4.20 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 24 starts for the Rangers last season.