Baseball is often called America’s pastime. It is summer, ballpark lights, cheering crowds, hot dogs, home runs, and families making memories together. In many ways, it feels like all that is good and right about a summer night.
But for many children in foster care, an experience like this may be rare, or even brand new. And for foster families who are selflessly caring for children, often while also raising biological, adopted, or kinship children, the cost of a night at the ballpark can be difficult to manage on a regular day.
More than a game.
That is one reason CK Family Services looks forward to our annual Rangers Game each year. It is more than a game, more than an outing. It is a chance for the CKFS community to gather, relax, laugh, cheer, and enjoy something special together.
There is something meaningful about walking through Globe Life Field and spotting another CKFS purple shirt in the crowd. Maybe you do not know the person walking by, but there is still an instant sense of camaraderie. A smile. A nod. A shared understanding that everyone there is connected to something bigger than one evening at the ballpark.
Throughout the stadium, those iconic purple shirts became a visible reminder of community. They represented families, children, staff, sponsors, and supporters all gathered under one roof with a shared purpose: to celebrate, encourage, and enjoy a night together.
The joy was everywhere.
Babies were bounced in loving arms. Young boys jumped, hollered, and cheered with all their might, completely in awe of the sights and sounds around them. Teens laughed together, some with shirts customized with fringe and beads, turning the annual purple tee into something all their own. Young adults watched the scoreboard, crunching numbers, talking stats, debating the pitcher, instant fans of the home team, whether they came in knowing baseball or not. Older fans settled into their seats with content smiles, enjoying the kind of evening they may have experienced dozens of times before, but never grow tired of.
Fireworks rang out with each Rangers home run. High fives were shared. Families cheered. Children laughed. And in the final inning, when Texas pulled out the win, the crowd went wild.
Sponsors made it possible.
For the sponsors who support this annual Rangers Game, the value of their generosity was easy to see. As they enjoyed the evening from the stands, they were surrounded by children’s smiles, families laughing together, and moments of belonging that may not have happened otherwise. They give quietly and faithfully, not for recognition, but because they know their support helps make room for joy, connection, and meaningful memories for children and families. Please join us in thanking these community champions:
2026 SPONSORS
- Parkwood Collison
- Tubbesing Services
- Relation Insurance
- GEICO DeSoto - Jennifer Reed
- Marsh McLennan Insurance
- Grace Learning Tree
The same is true of the many people who give financially and pray for CKFS throughout the year. Their support strengthens the work happening every day, often in ways they may never fully see. Whether helping make a special night at the ballpark possible or standing with us in the ongoing work of serving children and families, their generosity and prayers are a meaningful part of this mission.
That is what makes this night so special. It is baseball, yes. But it is also community. It is children getting to be children. It is foster families being celebrated. It is staff, sponsors, and supporters standing alongside the families who open their homes and hearts.
More than anything, it is a reminder that joy matters. Shared experiences matter. And belonging matters.
