In an effort to spread awareness of the dangers of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancement drugs to teenagers across North America, the Taylor Hooton Foundation has partnered with MLB for another season.
The foundation was formed in 2004 by friends and family of Taylor Hooton, a 17-year-old high school athlete from Texas who passed away after using anabolic steroids.
All 30 Major League teams have a representative on the Taylor Hooton Foundation Advisory Board. Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was recently named to the group and hopes to encourage young baseball players everywhere that talent — not performance enhancing drugs — is the way to reach their goals, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“The biggest thing is to try and teach kids growing up that the proper way to make your dreams come true and get to the big leagues is not by taking a shortcut,” said Kershaw. “It’s with hard work. Obviously, a lot of God-given talent and ability. But at the end of the day, how much you put in is how much you get out. It feels good knowing that when you make it, it’s because of the abilities you’ve been given and the hard work.”
Dozens of MLB players are expected to participate in the Taylor Hooton Foundation’s public-service campaign, “It’s All Me,” including members of the Advisory Board like Kershaw.
Each of those taking part will continue educating North America’s young people and baseball players about the side effects of anabolic steroids, as well as share advice on how to find success without using them.
Kershaw of course is regularly active in providing for those in need, not only in Los Angeles and his hometown of Dallas, but worldwide as well. He and Ellen Kershaw just hosted the sixth annual Kershaw’s Challenge Ping Pong 4 Purpose event at Dodger Stadium.
